Sarishinohara
by GaleSynch
Summary: AU: To protect her friends, she wanted to be the clan head - being female however, it was simply impossible. Then he came to help. She expected things to get better; the last thing she ever expected was to fall in love with her other self. Night!Rikuo/Day!Female!Rikuo.
1. I

**Sarishinohara**

_"Distant Fields"_

~x~

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Chapter One: Forgotten Promises

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_Amber-gold eyes blinks at the girl before her. "Hey, lady...who are you?" The girl turns and her black eyes bores into amber's. No answer comes from the black-haired girl._

_The yamabuki roses continues to bloom behind them; its petals littering the ground. But their beauty goes unnoticed as the two girls stare at each other._

_The owner of the amber-gold eyes is no older than six or seven at most. In many's opinion, she resembles her grandmother in every way except for the fact her skin is fairer, her eyes like her father's and the fact that her hair's cut short and choppy—in Nurarihyon's added opinion, she lacks the grace and softspoken person her grandmother had._

_"What...did you do to my father...?" She asks as she looks at her father. She doesn't knows how he came to be lying there, in a pool of red pooling from a wound on his stomach. But she knows he will never move again._

"_Riku ..." Her father, Nura Rihan, gasps as he coughs blood. "Run..." He inhales sharply, greedily, savoring the breath as if he knows it will be his last._

_The black haired girl raises her sword—now that Riku notices she is holding one. Riku's eyes widens, is she the one that stabbed her father? The one that killed him? But... why? This girl played with her, her friend! So why is she hurting her family? _

"_M'lady! Master Rihan!" Screams of her attendants draw Riku's attention away from the gruesome scene which she fails to comprehend._

"_Rihan! Riku!" Her mother's and grandfather's voice—this familiarity she recognizes. Riku stumbles backward into the warm embrace of her mother_—_Nura Wakana. She looks up into the eyes of her mother. There are tears there as her mother looks at her father's body—no—dead body._

_Her grandfather, Nurarihyon looks in despair at his son's dead form. Riku is too young then, to understand why her everyone is crying at the funeral, where her father's body is place in a wooden box and why he is covered in white._

_She just knows that she will never see him again. That is enough to make her cry as hard as everyone else. She buries her face in her grandfather's chest and cries hard._

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Eight-year-old Nura Riku's eyes snaps open as a shrill ringing enters her ears. She sits up and wipes her chin to make sure that no drool had spill from her mouth as she was asleep moments ago. She sighs. She absolutely hates dreaming of the time where her father had dropped dead. The memory, though fuzzy and seems to be missing in a few places, still hurts her.

"Riku?" A high-pitched voice reaches Riku's ears. She turns to see one of her best friends—Ienaga Kana standing to her right, looking at her in concern.

"Kana," Riku greets her, seeing her friend.

"School's over, Riku, aren't you going to leave?" Kana asks. She worries over her friend. Ever since three years ago, after Riku's father died, she seems out of it. Rarely ever she pays complete attention to something. The teachers has long since given up on trying to get her to pay attention—as long as her grades doesn't slips, they are fine with it. Kana sometimes wonders how Riku ever manages to keep her grades on top when she doesn't seems to study or pay attention at all.

"I'm going now." Riku replies gruffly, gathering her books and shoving them into her bag. Together with Kana, she steps out of the door's threshold and heads toward the school gates. She tries to remember what she has to do today. Her mood darkens when she remembers what had transpired earlier.

Kana, having sense her friend's darkening mood bites her lip before saying. "Are you still mad earlier? At what Kiyotsugu said?" She gets her answer from the Nura's indignant huff; and she sighs. "Riku, really, you shouldn't be so obsess about yokais and go on and on about your family being a family full of yokais."

Riku whirls to her friend in shock. "You don't believe me?" She cries, hurt.

Kana chews her lip, uncertain as to how to answer. She smiles kindly at her shorter friend. "Its fine as to who your family are, Riku. I'll always like you no matter what!"

At least that's somewhat better than what Kiyotsugu and the rest of her classmates had said.

The two friends come to a stop at the bus stop. Kana looks at her friend once again, trying to gauge her reaction. Riku is frowning in displeasure. The two girls stare at one another for a long time, waiting for the other to say something to dispel the tension in the air. In the end, neither got to say anything as the bus driver sounds the horn, impatient.

Kana hurriedly boards the bus. When Riku doesn't follows she asks. "Aren't you boarding the bus?" She asks.

"No," Riku replies glumly, lips pushes forward into a cute pout. "I'll be walking back home."

She turns and stalks off. "Karasu-Tengu is going to get worried again." She mutters to herself. The overseer of the Nura clan tends to be a pretty big worrywart, especially when Riku is involved. She huffs, she is not a baby. She can take care of herself! A devious plan enters her mind, maybe she can linger around town for a moment longer, make him more worried. He's always funny to watch when he's worried.

She giggles as she imagines his face, her mood has already lift at the thought of the new prank. Though, she wonders if it's right to do so this time, because recently there's been rumors of dispute between the ranks and her mother has warned her that people might hurt her to get to her grandfather. She thinks this action of theirs are cowardly, they should just confront her grandfather in battle instead of using under-handed tricks such as kidnapping close ones of the target.

She wonders, also, if someone might harm her now, who's going to protect her.

_Me, always me. I'm the only one._

Riku jolts when she hears the voice, whirling around she sees no one. She swallows uncomfortably, lately, she has been hearing voices—though she tells no one; she doesn't want them to think she's crazy. Mostly when she feels depressed or when she feels unsafe or uncertain. The voice is always trying to reassure her. She isn't sure she should be feeling safe and reassured or she should be frightened.

Riku lingers at the playground, sitting on the swing and swaying on it alone; the sounds of traffic, people bustling about and the rusty creaky sounds made by the metal chains of the swing scratching metallic surface her only companion. When the last of warmth splashes off her face, she stops playing, knowing that she's way past her curfew. She grabs her school bag and hurries down the street, hoping that she can sneak in without being seen by strict adults. She quickens her pace to home as the sun is slowly but surely setting.

The first thing she hears when she reaches her house is Karasu-Tengu, wailing: "M'lady!"

She ducks just in time as Karasu-Tengu flies past her. She looks at him, smirking wryly; he reacted just as she's expected. So predictable that it's almost hilarious. "What is it?" She asks curtly to cover her laughter.

"Don't you 'what is it' to me, M'lady!" Karasu-Tengu sniffs, actual tears in his eyes that make Riku feel sorry. "We assumed the worst when you did not return, and there is a news report on the television that the bus that you usually take had been half buried in an accident in the underpass!"

Riku's jaw drops open. "What? Seriously?" She abandons Karasu Tengu—who's still ranting on and on about something—as she runs to the living room where her grandfather and mother are watching the television with wide eyes, both filled with horror. But it dissipates when she rushes into the room. Her mother crosses the distance between them and hugs her.

"I was so worried!" She cries, wiping some tears from her eyes. "I thought you were caught up in the accident as well!

Riku pats her mother's back, reassuring her—"I'm fine,"—while keeping her eyes on the television, watching the news. Finally, her mother releases her, sighing in relief.

"Oji-chan," Riku acknowledges. "This is the work of a yokai isn't it?" She asks, worried. At her grandfather's nod, she makes a choked noise.

"Well—what are we waiting for?" She yells. "Go save them—Jiji! Mobilize the Hyakki Yako!" When Nurarihyon makes no such motion to go do anything, she grits her teeth. "Fine," she mutters. "I'll go do it myself." She turns to Kubinashi and Tsurara who are both in the same room, watching with wide eyes. "Let's—"

"And where do you think you're going, little lady?" Riku scowls as her vision suddenly lifts, having been picked up by some annoying bastard. Her scowl deepens when she sees Hitotsume gazing at her disdainfully, holding her at arm's length as if she's some sort of stinking garbage. "Mobilize the Hyakki Yako?" Hitotsume laughs mockingly, jiggling her small body. "Please, what do you think a little girl like you can do? You're not even the heir. And not to mention a female to boot—only a male can lead us, you think anyone will follow a girl?"

Everyone glower at Hitotsume—namely the females in the room but they know that Hitotsume is partially right. Riku's eyebrow twitches dangerously at what Hitotsume had said, her tiny fists clinching and unclinching. She snarls, swatting at Hitotsume's hand. "Let me go!" she yells and he does so when from behind him, Gyuki shoots him a glower.

Riku glares at them, her eyes pooling with tears and she curses herself for showing weakness. "So none of you are going to help them?" she yells, waving her arms wildly to emphasize her point. Frustrated when no one answers her, she points accusingly at Aotabo. "You! I thought you better than this; isn't it your goal to protect little kids? And he isn't the only one—Kurotabo? Kubinashi? Tsurara? Kappa? Kejoro?"

She spits on the ground spitefully and those that had known the elegant Princess Yohime, gawks at the princess's counterpart who's acting so brash.

"You all are so—so—ugh!" she stomps her foot, then suddenly, turns on her heel. "I'm going alone." And she starts running, out of the Nura Gumi and out of her family's sight.

"H—how is she going to fight the yokais with her bare hands? Isn't she outnumbered?" Natto Kozo, in his husky and nasally voice, questions. "Should we follow her?"

Hitotsume snorts. "Why should we? That brat wants to die."

"No!" Wakana snarls, ever the loving mother. "How could you?"

"Yeah!" Tsurara seethes but then the anger slides off her face to be replace by the horror. "And what are we still doing here? We have to go after M'lady!"

That spurs the yokais into action; scrambling madly for their weapons and making a mad dash out of the Nura Gumi, uncoordinated as ever but still very much determined.

"M'lady, we're coming!" Tsurara's voice yelling out this statement followed by the shouts of agreement are the only thing the remaining occupants of Nura Gumi hear before the crowd disappear after their wayward princess.

"Is this okay?" Wakana asks, concern filling her feature.

"They will be, Riku's strong." Gyuki says.

The human woman looks at the fearsome yokai and smiles brightly. "I trust you and I trust them!"

No one sees the minuscule pink tint on his cheeks.

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Riku pants, hard; her labored breathing making it hard for her to run as fast she wants to. She groans in pain, pressing a hand to her chest and she can't help but wonder what is wrong with her; why does her body feel so hot when the night is so chilly and windy?

She crumples to the ground, but she struggles to her feet not a moment later; her father must've felt worst when he's dying and she's just tired of running, nothing can compare to his pain. Thinking of her father's death makes her think of the dream... is the dream a bad omen her father's using to warn her of her friends' danger?

Next time, she vows to never forget when she's had a dream and be wary every time.

But for now...

_Stop_, a voice murmurs in her mind. _Don't struggle anymore. Give in to the feeling, to me. I can help you, protect you. Remember? I promise you once._ As if to prove the voice's point, a warm feeling drapes over her back as if someone's hugging her from behind. It feels so warm, so safe that she does give in and allows the darkness brightened only by red orbs to take over.

_Sleep well, now_.

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"Sending little children to hell is my style!" Gagoze screams in excitement, hands reaching for a frightened Kana, before a loud explosion rocks the entire underpass amidst the children's screams.

"So killing kids makes you think that you're a big shot?" A husky male voice asks as footsteps echo around the area. Gagoze whirls around to the source of the voice. "_Pathetic_."

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

A young boy with a head of protruding hair, silver up and black down, and red eyes steps forward. He waves at Gagoe lazily, mocking him. "Here, sensei," he drawls sarcastically.

"M'lady!" A call, urgent and worried, echoes through the tunnel.

The mist surrounding them lifts, revealing Aotabo, Tsurara (as Yuki Onna), Kubinashi and quite a few others who are willing to follow the young Riku, the taller forms of the others practically dwarfing the young and stranger boy. Even Kejoro, Kappa and Kurotabo are present—as listed by Riku not too long ago. Natto Kozo, Tofu Kozo and Sannokuchi are yelling out insults to Gagoze's army, throwing random items they brought at the enemy.

The young boy spots them and graces them with a murderous glare. "You." He snarls, pointing his light katana at the yokais of Nura. "You dare ignore Riku when she needed you?"

Aotabo steps forward, frowning down at the boy, wondering who he is other than the fact that he seems to be a Nurarihyon too. He looms over the small form, trying to intimidate the brat and failing to do so when the boy glares up at him. Neither of the Nura yokais like how the boy had used a past tense.

"What do you mean by 'needed'?" Kurotabo inquires.

"She don't need you anymore!" The young Nurarihyon declares, swinging his sword with no amount of clumsiness and he seems as if he's born to wield it. "She has me! I'm her yokai!"

"My, my, M'lady has a boyfriend?" Kejoro giggles, swooning over the little boy. "So how did you two meet?"

"I don't think that's what he meant..." Kubinashi says, disagreeing with the woman he has a rather childish crush on. "You... you're just like Master Rihan... you're Riku's yokai form aren't you?"

"Finally," the boy smirks. "Someone in the group gets it. I am Riku, and yet, not the Riku you all know. Now... either you all get lost and let me do my work or you can help." He turns, his sword drawn and poised to kill. He charges at an oncoming army and easily dispatches them. "Go!"

Aotabo glares down at the kid, not knowing whether or not should he be flattered or insulted when the kid's giving orders and looking _up_ at him the same time. But now's not the time, there's another scumbag that needs a lesson.

"Targeting children, huh?" Aotabo grunts, brandishing his powerful fists. "And here I thought that you could sink no lower, Gagoze."

"You're pathetic," the yokai Riku decides. "Killing children in a show of power so that you can be the Sandaime? You're so pathetic that it's not even funny. Even Day-Me can beat the shit out of you with her eyes closed!"

Gagoze snarls in pure rage as he eyes the newcomers. His gaze lingers particularly longer on the one who seems to be leading them, the young boy that looks like Nurarihyon back in his youth. As far as he is concern, there is no male child that belongs to Rihan; he only has a daughter that will amount to nothing. Or so he thinks.

"You must be surprised since you obviously does not recognize me," the young Nurarihyon is saying with a pleased smirk. "It is I, Nura Riku, and I will become the Third Heir!"—_If not for myself then for her_, he thinks briefly before he continues after the rather dramatic pause in his speech—"Let it be known to every yokai in the world; I will become the Lord of Pandemonium, and I will not allow anything to stand in my way!" Riku declares as he leaps out of the way of Gagoze's attack. "All yokais shall follow me, in the parade of the Hyakki Yako."

The watching children in the bus stares on with awe—completely missing the fact that the young boy has announced his name, which is the same as one of their classmates.

"Wow..." Shima whispers in awe.

"Cool..." Kiyotsugu whispers, with stars shining in his eyes due to admiration.

One of Gagoze's underlings lunges for Riku but before he can land an attack, he is suddenly caught in red strings. Cold fury lit the neck-less yokai's amber eyes. "I won't let you harm Master Riku—boy or girl." He declares quietly. "It's no use. Struggling only makes it tighter." He says in the same cold quiet voice as his victim struggles to free himself. He ends the yokai's life by severing it into pieces through sheer force of the tightness of the strings.

Aotabo easily blocks the attack from another one, punching the same yokai in the face with his monstrous strength. "It'll take more than that to take down Aotabo, the Strike Team leader!" he roars, a grin on his face.

"You're a show off as always." Kurotabo mutters, summoning blades and impaling the other yokais that charge his way. "You should know that you're not the only Strike Team leader around here." He says.

Riku notes that Tsurara is blowing breaths of ice, freezing enemies in their tracks. Kejoro wrings the life out of the yokais using her hair and Kappa is blasting water balls at every enemy he sees.

"I-It couldn't be…" Gagoze splutters in shock. "My clan… My invincible army who killed more than anyone!" He turns toward the stunned human children still in the bus who are all looking on with a mixture of awe and fear. Cackling madly, he leaps towards them, in a desperate attempt to end it all. "I'll kill them! If you don't want me to kill them, then make me—"

The children scream in fear, only to stop when a gurgling sound alerts them that Gagoze is being stabbed in the throat. Riku makes a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. He swings his sword again, this time, severing Gagoze's head without much of an effort.

He lands on the ground gracefully and takes in their situation calmly. The enemies are retreating once they see that their leader is down. Riku turns to the children in the bus and smirks at them. "You don't have to worry when I'm here." He turns his back on them and walks back to his allies.

"And this is why," He says dryly as he ruthlessly cuts down a fleeing underling of Gagoze. "no one messes with the Nura Clan."

The Nura yokais gaze at the Nurarihyon in awe. The Yuki-Onna is the first to step forward and approach the young boy that is suppose to be the one she's going to guard. She inhales deeply and kneels to reach his eye level. Gently, she takes his shoulder and turns so he's facing her.

The supposed master raises an eyebrow but allows her to do so. "Yes?"

"Are you really Lady Riku?" Tsurara questions solemnly. "Not just an impostor?"

"Yes, yes I am."

The Yuki-Onna studies the yokai, eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she's dismantling the child and putting them back together to make sure he's telling the truth. She exhales and icy breath hits Riku in the face but he doesn't complain. Suddenly, the serious demeanor drops along with the icy temperature. She wraps her arms around the young child and exhales in relief again.

"Oh, Riku, don't do anything stupid like that again. You may not believe it but some of us are willing to follow you—even to the ends of the world. And—" her voice cracks but before she can continue, the child in her arms collapses. Tsurara nearly screams but as she looks down, as the yokais gather around her, they watch in awe as black mist seeps out of the child's body and all that remains is the sleeping form of their familiar mistress with her brown hair and golden eyes hidden under her eyelids, a small contented and accomplished smile on her rosy lips.

"Let's go home, yeah?"

"Yeah."

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When their mistress wakes, she recalls nothing of the event. But of all things she can recall is that when she demanded their help, they offer none. She sulks for days until Nurarihyon offers to teach her a new trick. No one inquires what happen but smiles in relief that Riku's no longer mad; as proven since she's laughing on her grandfather's back, all old grudges forgotten.

"Is it normal?"

"Hm?" Wakana switches her attention from her task of folding clothes to Gyuki and a few other yokais sitting by his side, enjoying the afternoon and sipping their tea. "What do you mean?"

"Is Lady Riku the first female Nurarihyon in history?" Gyuki asks instead of his earlier question, patiently awaiting an answer to his question.

Wakana tenses for a millisecond but Gyuki notices anyway. "Perhaps, since we had not heard of another female Nurarihyon. What about your first question?"

"Is it normal for a female descended of a family of Nurarihyons to have a male counterpart?"

The human widow purses her lips in contemplation. "That's the problem you see. Riku is possibly the very first half-breed of Nurarihyon and human. There's still her yokai side to consider. We don't know anything."

She is lying, Gyuki knows this because he's known her for quite awhile. But he doesn't point out how blatant it is that she's lying with the way she twiddles her thumbs and how her eyes dart around wildly.

"We can do nothing but wait can we."

"Yes." Wakana agrees with a breathless whisper, returning to the clothes in her lap but she's no longer so concentrated on her task anymore. "We must be patient."

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A/N

To the old readers, I've edited this chapter and there are some great changes—the new readers don't have to worry about missing anything because the plot is still the same and so are the characters. So please don't skip anything! Oh, as for the pairings, I've hinted on some Gyuki/Wakana right? I just sorta took a liking to that pairing. To those that have something against the pairing - or think it's weird - don't worry much, there's very little about it. The main pairing is Night!Rikuo/Fem!Day!Rikuo (Riku, here). I know the birth of Riku seems quite complicated and some of you are confused but please be patient, it'll be explained later - much later, like, in the Hagoromo Gitsune arc.

Review!


	2. II

**Sarishinohara**

_"Distant Fields"_

~x~

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Chapter Two: Rightful Throne

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She is unworthy to inherit the throne, they say. Those yokais think she can't hear them whisper—sometimes shout it out to those willing to hear and is always silenced—around the hallways because she's human and she doesn't posses the enhanced hearing of a yokai. But she has some yokai blood in her, she can hear them.

She will never admit it—and no one will ask—but those words stab and tore her heart a new one. So she's a girl and she's unworthy just because of that? Who gives the yokais the right to say such things?

"I don't want to be the Sandaime!" she yells out to her pestering servants with a note of finality as she grabs her schoolbag and runs—not after pecking her mother on the cheek first though. "I told you I want to be human!"

But I want so much to protect you all—

Stop. Don't go there.

Riku's pace slows as the distance between her and her house—because it's just a place where she's living and no one is there to accept her as she is now—is far enough. She breathes in and out to control her temper and not look as if she's been running away from something.

Her fears melt and her mood lifts when she spots her best friend, Kana, waving at her through the bus window.

"Wait up!" she calls as she starts running again.

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She may be no hero, no clan heir, no super-cool yokai powers of her clan, but at heart, she's still a protector. She panics when her friend suddenly suggests going to that haunted and abandoned school. They are adamant however, she throws a glare at Kiyotsugu who's as enthusiastic as ever, so she has to follow them to make sure they are safe.

Her honeyed eyes switch from glaring at her friend to warily assessing the abandoned building. The yokais lurking in there are not under Nura's jurisdiction; which means she doesn't know she can handle them.

"This time!" Kiyotsugu yells enthusiastically—the only word that can ever serve his personality justice—as he waves his arm wildly in the air, to emphasize his point. "My investigation will come to fruition! We'll see some yokais for sure!"

The pitiful thing is that his every investigation and clue is right. It's just that Riku has been thwarting them every step the way. This time, she plans to do the same. It's for their own good and they never know, and what they don't know won't hurt them.

The young Nura throws her friend a glare, exchanging an exasperated look with Kana; the latter who shrugs helplessly before following Kiyotsugu and Shima into the building. Riku has no choice but to follow, thanking her mediocre lucky stars that Torii and Saori had wisely declined the invitation to explore the haunted place, lessening the number of people she has to protect.

They enter cautiously and Riku snatches the torchlight from Kiyotsugu's hand, volunteering to lead the way. Her eyebrow twitches in annoyance as the boys cheer her on for her enthusiasm. Very funny. Bored though still wary, Riku turns her torchlight another direction whereas the rest of the group enter what was formerly the science lab. Her light lands on the boys' toilet and it takes all her willpower to not scream.

She lurches forward and punches the yokai, sending it flying into the hole in the ceiling where it came from, originally. She darts into the science lab next, breathing slightly hard due to the adrenaline. Just as her breath calms, she spots another yokai in the form of a zombie-like girl. The yokai smiles at her and though she doesn't seem to post any threat, Riku grabs her and hurls the yokai out of the window and into the horizon, sending a mental apology to them.

If this is happening to someone else, she'd think it's hilarious but as it's happening to her... well, she has to say she isn't pleased.

"Look, guys," says Riku weakly and as nicely as possible. "Let's just go. There's no yokai here..." There is but I chased them all away.

At least, Riku assumes she did. She can still feel the presence of a lot of yokais and she can also feel their bloodlust and anxiety. They need to leave. Now.

"Guys..." she starts to say only for a terrified scream to tear through the night air. She whirls around to see Kana on the ground. Riku curses herself, wondering how that particular yokai had slipped through her guard.

Riku stands, rooted to her spot, unable to even say or shout for help—who would come anyway?

Have you forgotten me? I'm sad...

She doesn't reply because at that time, the familiar burning and searing feeling is coming back. Her vision fuzzes with black and for a moment, she thinks she sees a pair of red eyes from across her, under a cheery blossom tree. But it all disappears in a second and just as she falls to her knees, the windows to her right side shatter.

The burning sensation is gone now due to the Yuki Onna's arrival. But the snow yokai isn't alone, the familiar and bulky form of Aotabo appears from the shadows, punching the yokai and sending it flying with a horrified shriek.

"You guys..."

Tsurara beams at her mistress, clasping the young girl's hand in her cold ones. "We're so glad you're okay!"

Riku smiles kindly at her attendant, gently unlatching the Yuki Onna's hand from her own, then she turns to check on her human friend. In doing so, she completely misses the nostalgic look on Tsurara's face.

Contrary to popular's belief, Tsurara doesn't fault Riku for being female, for being more human than yokai—she's content with Riku being Riku, the little sister she's never had, regardless of species. Tsurara has never hated Riku, never looked down on her once. She's just sad that most yokais of the Nura Clan are so damned close-minded; they never saw the strong person underneath the human musk did they.

"Will she...?"

"Nope~! She won't recall a single thing!" Tsurara says cheerfully, clapping her hands together, still glad that her mistress isn't hurt. "Come on, milady, let's go home."

Riku stares at the Ienaga household for a moment—her face blank so her two bodyguards don't know what she's thinking—before she nods, smiling somewhat wistfully again.

"Yeah," she says. "Let's go home."

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"For the last time," she says through gritted teeth. "I have no wish to be the Sandaime. Now, lay off." She narrows her eyes and adds a glare for good measure.

Her grandfather sighs that long-suffering sigh that tugs at her heartstrings but she remains steady, stubborn as a mule and unmovable as a mountain. She glares down challengingly at the yokai that had raised her alongside her mother ever since her father died. When he doesn't say anything, she turns and leaves, sliding the door shut with an especially loud slam to emphasis her anger and unwillingness.

Not that she is entirely reluctant. It's just that she isn't worthy; no yokai powers and a female to top it all off.

Riku is no fool, however, so she is only mildly surprise when Zen arrives. She knows it's all at Nurarihyon's behest—what a scheming old man, and he wonders why she grows up to be so mischievous. Sitting across from Zen—whom she sees as a brother instead of a suitor like some of the yokais had suggested—she's smiling genuinely because she is pleased to see him even though the topics they wanted to discuss are completely different.

"So..." Zen starts, his cheeks slightly pink, and he finds it extremely hard to meet Riku's gaze so he averts his eyes to the garden outside the manor. "When are you going to be taking your old man's mantel?"

And the smile slides away as if rain had washed it away.

Suddenly, it isn't only Zen that finds it hard to meet the other's eye.

"Uh... maybe, er, never?" Riku cringes when Zen's eyes practically ignites with fire. She's preparing her ears for a very loud outburst when Tsurara waltzes in. There's no time for Riku to be overly grateful because Zen kicks her out the next second.

Tsurara lets out a _whoosh!_ of angry breath. And all gratitude Riku has for her attendant flies out the window along with her words, literally frozen in her throat. Zen snarls at Tsurara, "Get lost!" but Riku isn't off the hook either. He glares at Riku's frozen form until it melts.

Shaking and teeth chattering, Riku starts picking off the frozen ice shards off her form, all the while avoiding Zen's gaze. He looks ready to scream at her again but he breaks off into a coughing fit. She surges forward to help with her latent ability but the bird yokai waves her off.

She settles back on the opposite of him, concern in her eyes which is apparent because Zen chuckles. "This is nothing," he says between coughs. "All I wish is that I'd live long enough to see you inherit your rightful throne amongst the yokais."

She remains silent, contemplating. "You know it's impossible for me to do so."

"Why?" Zen snarls, unable to take seeing the normally cheerful girl so defeated, so weak, without a backbone, always being pushed around by the council members. "I'm disappointed with you, Riku, what would your father say?"

When she doesn't answer, he storms out in anger and disappointment, missing the look of haunted sorrow on the young girl's face. Hebidayu is there to greet him and in his anger, he misses again the look on the other's face.

Riku stares after her brother-figure with a long and pained sigh. She pulls her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees, gazing out at the setting sky with a sad gaze. Thus, this is the scene Karasu Tengu walks in on.

With unusual gentleness in his voice, the crow-like yokai speaks up. "I presume the talk with Master Zen did not go well?"

"You must've meant terrible," Riku mutters gloomily, switching her gaze from the sky to Karasu Tengu.

Feeling guilty, Karasu Tengu says, "It was Shodaime's orders," confessing of what he knows.

"I know, you think I'm stupid?"

Karasu Tengu looks up in surprise because Riku rarely ever says anything with such spite. The eyes that look down at him are different from the warm brown-gold; the inhuman crimson eyes send Karasu Tengu on guard.

"M'lady?"

Those crimson eyes flicker but then returns to the usual honey color but it still seems to lack it's usual warmth. "Go get Oboro-guruma, I'm going out."

"What? Why?" Karasu Tengu yelps in alarm. "Where to?"

"After Zen-nii-san. I have things to tell him, to explain why...I..." She trails off but her steps don't falter; she pushes Karasu Tengu away when he flies in her face. "You're not going to stop me from leaving this place."

"Why are you talking as if you're leaving for good?" the crow yokai wails in disbelief.

Riku laughs humorlessly. "Wouldn't that be to your wish? I have something to borrow from Oji-san...without him knowing, of course." She adds the last part silently, slipping away into another hallway, leaving Karasu Tengu floating in air, aghast.

Naturally a worry-wart for those he's worried about and cares deeply, Karasu Tengu follows Riku—and he's going to keep following her no matter what. The young girl is calm, her voice void of what she might be feeling and the crow yokai is growing increasingly frustrated that Riku dares to think of the yokais in her house like that—as if they never cared about her.

After this trip, he's going to talk it out with her.

Why didn't she say anything about this before? They would've made amends, make her feel welcomed—no, make her feel at home because Nura Gumi is her home; how can she think otherwise?

Karasu Tengu doesn't have much time to ponder about it because the next second, Nurarihyon's granddaughter has already jumped off their ride. His eyes nearly drop out, "M'lady!" he yells in panic, diving out and flapping his wings desperately, flying after the wayward girl.

"M'lady!" he cries in frustration, his wings reflecting his agitation by flapping so.

"N-no time, Karasu Tengu," his mistress pants hard, placing her palm on the tree bark for a moment to steady herself. Sweat beaded down her forehead and when the last hint of sunlight hit his face did Karasu Tengu realized that Riku has been running for quite a while and she's never had the best of stamina. "Have to..." wheeze. "get there."

After more stumbling on Riku's part and begging on Karasu Tengu's part, they arrive on a scene which proved that Riku is right to worry.

"Zen-nii-san!" Riku calls, sliding down the slope and landing nimbly by his side. "Are you all right?"

"Stay back!" Zen yells, alarmed, hacking blood out in his haste to get up from the ground. "There's nothing a human like you can do!"

"What a perfect opportunity," Hebidayu laughs, his forked tongue flicking out of his mouth, leering at the sight of the young Nura girl. "A chance to kill off the last of the Nura Clan—to kill their disgrace, they would forever be in my debt."

"I still have some unfinished business, Hebidayu," Zen growls, a low and threatening sound from the back of his throat. "As long as I'm alive, I won't let you or anyone else lay a single finger on her! I won't die here—not until I see Riku as the Sandaime, and know what it's like to be under her leadership I will never die!"

Riku's eyes widen; this man... this yokai that has trouble keeping himself alive wants to be one of those in her Hyakki Yako? Her eyes feel warm for a reason, she smiles blithely, not acknowledging the tears that want to fall.

She has to be strong, she can't be a crybaby. She needs to lead her own Hyakki Yako—with or without some stuck-up high-ups approval. Because Zen can't be the first one... he's just shown her that he, like some others, truly care about her. He's shown her the truth, has guided her towards the path she should take and, secretly, has always been wanting to take.

She takes a deep breath to steel her nerves.

The throbbing sensation in her chest, her heart—beating and pumping sounds twice as loud and feels twice as heavy. She knows why, because the heart beneath the skin is beating for two people. She isn't alone, there's someone else there. She's nearly forgotten him... four years ago; his protective words and embrace frightened her so she's shut him up but now... she needs him more than ever.

I know you're there. Please, help me save Zen, I — I'll repay you somehow.

Riku blinks rapidly, because now, she's no longer by Zen's side. Instead, she's before the Nura Gumi's famous sakura tree. A deep baritone voice chuckles from above her and she jerks her head up to see who it is.

She inhales sharply, actually feeling heat in her cheeks; if she can see herself in the mirror now, she's sure her cheeks are completely red. Standing before is an ethereally beautiful young man with eyes like blood, hair like the moon above the starry night sky. If she's a guy, she's not bad looking at all. Actually, being a boy is great.

The young man laughs louder this time, shifting in his perch from on the tree branch.

"Thank you," he practically purrs somewhat...seductively? "Girl me isn't so bad looking either. Quite good actually. I would be terribly sad if human me is a boy, nothing pleasant to look at."

And secretly, she's glad yokai-her isn't a girl too. Nothing pleasant to look at.

The yokai's eyes sparkle as if he knows what she's thinking exactly. But Riku is in no mood to entertain him now. "That's right! Zen—will you help me save him?"

The yokai's eyes narrow sharply. "You care so much."

"Of course!" she doesn't understand this boy who's supposed to be her—does gender differ them so greatly? "Don't you?"

"I do...but..." he hesitates and Riku's slightly surprise because this guy is so confident she is sure nothing can ever make him hesitate or faze him in the slightest. "...I wonder if it's the same 'care' as yours."

"We're the same person. Why wouldn't it be the same?"

"Same person. You're right." Pause. "But that doesn't mean I have to like that."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Riku snarls, growing impatient as the second ticks by in this seemingly timeless dimension. "While we're talking, Zen and Karasu Tengu are—" she stops mid-sentence, surprised by the feeling of soft skin on her lips.

She jerks back, her face completely red. "You—" she splutters, pointing her finger at him, unable to say anything. "You—ew!—what was that for? Couldn't you have just said shut up instead of... of kissing me?"

"You don't like it?" The question is innocent enough but the face he's wearing is one of mock hurt.

"That's besides the point! While we're here conversing completely pointless things, Zen is—"

"Zen this, Zen that," the yokai repeats flatly, his eyes narrow into slits as if he's angry. He looks furious and...jealous... seriously, Riku wonders what is wrong with her other half. "Fine." He says, tone suddenly cold, lacking the mischief and cheerfulness when he's talking to Riku earlier. "Let's go save him."

And suddenly, everything goes black.

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"Riku," says Zen glaringly, his hand thrust out before her to prevent her from doing anything stupid such as charging Hebidayu—because she's just that impulsive no matter how smart she is. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do—"

"Okay." He tenses, his head whipping around only to see the bamboo trees, the shadows cast by them and where the heck is Riku?

Thud. Something feather light lands on his forearm and the split second the bird yokai's eyes meet with crimson orbs, he feels himself trembling because the Fear emanating from the unfamiliar yet so damn familiar yokai is just so great he lost the ability to move.

In a blink of an eye, he's gone. The weight on his arm disappears.

Zen whirls around. "Riku!"

The yokai doesn't answer him, instead, he draws a katana hidden in his sleeve and lunges the same time Hebidayu's head shoots out to swallow them all. The blade makes a hideous slickly sound as it connects with its target and flays it in half.

It's all over in a second.

The silver-haired yokai lands on his feet nimbly, craning his neck to look down with no amount of sympathy, at the mutilated form of Hebidayu. Zen numbly registers Karasu Tengu's presence by his side, flapping his wings rapidly in excitement.

"Could it be? Could it be?" the crow yokai keeps repeating, tears of ecstasy—though it looked extremely melodramatic to his fellow bird yokai—streaming continuously down his face. "Riku-sama!"

"That's Riku?" Zen could barely believe his ears. "No way! You... who are you?"

The crimson-eyed boy rolls his eyes. "I am your master—mistress, whatever—Riku." His face fell when Zen doesn't seem to believe him. "The yokai form, does that ring a bell?"

"Riku's a girl!"

"And I'm a boy," the yokai—who Zen still can't believe to be—Riku says, rolling his crimson eyes. "Big deal."

Zen squints, taking in every detail of the yokai, trying to discern Riku from the boy. This yokai positively swagger with power and confidence, the hair and features are more like Nurarihyon's. No trace of Riku or the Nidaime whom'd been the one to pass his daughter his features. The resemblance to the grandfather is there though so... grudgingly, Zen has to say that the person before him is Riku.

"Calling you Riku is weird," Zen remarks with a sigh, settling himself down on the grassy clearing. "Why don't we give you a name?"

"A name?" the yokai echoes, tilting his head to the side curiously. "Sure." He says, moving back to Zen, producing a sake bottle from his sleeve... again with taking something out of there. Was it made of magic fabric or what? And how did Riku have so much time to store such things? "What name do you have in mind?"

"Hm... how about Rikuo?"

"Sounds nice," Karasu Tengu interjects, wanting to be included in this memorable event. It seems to him that Nurarihyon's plan has worked after all.

The newly named Rikuo holds up a familiar bottle. "Want a drink?"

Zen smiles. "Sure. You're pouring me one?"

Rikuo raises an eyebrow, tracing Zen's gaze to the mutilated form of Hebidayu. "I feel sorry for Hebidayu," says Zen after a moment of appraising between the two males. "It's all because I'm so weak."

"Zen's a weak yokai," says Rikuo with a smirk gracing his features. "So I'll protect you and in return, you'll join my Hyakki Yako—under my wing as the Sandaime because someday soon, I'm going to be the Lord of the Pandemonium!" He holds out his hand, the cup filled with sake glistening under the moonlight. "What do you say?"

Zen chuckles, holding out his hand as well, linking arms with the Nurarihyon yokai.

"Gladly."

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Rikuo stands with his arms crossed, his face solemn as he gazes at the fading Oboro-guruma, the one Zen's taking back to his home. He blatantly ignores the crow-like yokai by his side, eyes shining with hope and awe, and starts walking back towards the Nura mansion—he'd valiantly offered Zen his ride here for the older yokai to get home. So he's stuck walking back home. Not that it really troubles him, it gives him more time to enjoy the scenery and Mother Nature though he's rather sorry he won't be seeing the daylight scenery.

Someday, he vows, he'll be seeing the sunrise.

"Karasu Tengu?" calls he after a moment more of silence.

"Yes?"

"Not one word about this to anyone."

Karasu Tengu looks up in surprise at the fading baritone voice and he's almost sad to see amber-gold eyes instead of ruby-red orbs staring down at him.

"Yes...m'lady."

Even sadder thing is, she doesn't remember what she's done last night.

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A/N

The title's changed since I found this more suiting to the plot—and the song brought back my inspiration for this story. And for the matter, if there's any similarities to any other stories, it's _**purely—and merely—coincidental**_. Review!

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	3. III

**Sarishinohara**

_"Distant Fields"_

~x~

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Chapter Three: Rats' Nest

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It's been years since Riku last dreamed of her father's death. To be dreaming of it, to her anyway, means some sort of bad omen. For the rest of the day, on a Monday morning, she's wary and cautious of everything and everyone that's close to her. Naturally, this draw upon her her attendants' concern. Which lure the attention of her mother and grandfather.

"No, really," she repeats for the nth time this morning. "I'm fine and I'm going to school so don't offer again, mom."

Wakana Nura sighs fretfully. "Are you sure?" she asks again for the billionth time since she's seen her daughter in such a down state. "I can call school for you—"

"No, mom, seriously," says Riku, getting frustrated at her mother's over-protective nature. "I'm okay." She stands quickly when her mother seems ready to protest again. She leans forward and peck her mother on the cheek. "Just had a bad dream about dad... thought it was some sort of bad omen."

"You better be careful then," remarks Nurarihyon coolly from his seat by the kotetsu, flipping another page on the newspaper. "Oh, and Riku—"

"She just left." Wakana says, sighing.

Nurarihyon raises an eyebrow at his daughter-in-law's distressed sigh. "Why the sad face?"

"If she can't handle a mere nightmare, how am I going to tell her the truth?" the human woman rubs her forehead, her brown eyes downcast. "She's going to freak—and that's not all, she's going to think her parents are freaks."

Nurarihyon hums thoughtfully. "Riku is a thoughtful girl," he says slowly, gauging Wakana's reaction. The woman isn't looking at him anymore, instead, she's looking down at the photo she's always carrying. "I'm sure she won't judge you, her mother, of all people that terribly."

"Not entirely her mother."

"You raised her."

"She's also someone else's."

"..." Nurarihyon purses his lips as he finds some word to say to the mortal woman. "You can't hide the truth forever. She must know; or something unwanted might happen between them."

"You think anyone else has notice?"

"Gyuki's starting to piece everything together."

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"My name is Yura Keikain. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The new girl smiles, fleetingly, at her new classmates. There's something in her that unnerves Riku, sending a red alarm off in her head. The Nura studies the new girl more carefully and she can say that the girl is no yokai. Still... she unsettles her and it nearly makes her panic when Yura's assigned seat is next to her.

The two girls exchange a mutual smile, lack of true warmth and willingness to be friends. Riku wonders does the girl feel the same way to her as she does of her. For the rest of the morning periods, Riku tries to distract herself by actually concentrating in class.

Lunch period came and when Yura leaves her seat, Riku nearly lets out a sigh of relief. She stretches, arching her back, to relieve herself of stressed muscles. When she relaxes into her seat again, Kana has already approach her and is by her side, a concerned frown on her features, reminding Riku heavily of her own mother.

"Hey there, Kana," she smiles wearily. "What's up?"

"You seem tired and stressed. What's wrong?"

"Nah," Riku waves her friend's concern off. "Just a bad dream. You know... that dream."

"Ah... I see." Pause. "But you seem to have a personal problem with Keikain-san. She seems nice enough, so... why?"

Kana really knows her well, Riku isn't surprised, they've been friends since pre-school. The problem is that Riku doesn't know how to answer her friend's question, the question of her best friend who is still ignorant of her true nature. Thinking about that, putting it that way, makes Riku feel guilty; she averts her gaze to the exercise book on her table.

"Well...—"

It is at this moment that Kiyotsugu waltzes up to them and starts quizzing them about yokais. Riku has never been more thankful for his existence and obsession with yokai. Though he's been annoying for the past few years ever since the Gagoze incident with his obsession of yokai and his goal to find the yokai boy that had saved them—namely, Riku. To top it all off, Kiyotsugu never apologized to her for the time he's mocked her on the existence of yokais. He's one of the reasons why she chose to live a more human life.

Even to this day, she can still remember his words: yokais are evil. It's a good thing she is against violence or she'd beaten him up.

"Next question, which fire yokais can fly and control birds?" The group stare blankly at him. Riku does know the answer but she merely doesn't want to draw attention to herself; the more information she has on yokais, the more Kiyotsugu will bug her—shaking her head, she turns her attention back to the book she's reading. Kiyotsugu doesn't comment on her unenthusiastic behavior, choosing to continue what he has to say: "The choices are Tsurubebi, Furabibi and Ugabibi. Well?"

Saori and Natsumi—best friends and sometimes are in a group to themselves only—exchange baffled looks, not knowing the answer and not trying to figure it out. Shima raises his hand, timidly, and says, "Is it Ugabibi?"

The young Nura has to cough to cover her snort.

"You're wrong." Surprisingly, the one to say this isn't Kiyotsugu. Riku turns to see Yura Keikain standing by their side, a few tables away from her. "The correct answer is Furabibi."

"Impressive!" Kiyotsugu's eyes shine with admiration, urging Yura to say more. "Tell us more!"

Yura does; Riku stares at the other girl, a frown creasing her brows, her attention no longer on her book. The other thing that draws her immediate attention is what Kiyotsugu practically shouts to the world.

"—to celebrate the new member of Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol, we shall hold an inaugural ceremony for !" Kiyotsugu frowns for a moment, rubbing his chin in thought before he suddenly turns to Riku, giving her bad vibes but before she can say anything, he continues. "—at Nura's house!"

"What?!" the outcry that falls from her lips is followed by many disapproving words which go unheard to the other celebrating group.

Riku slumps back in her seat, defeated; she presses a hand to the crease in her brows, groaning. "I'm so dead."

Kana laughs, not understanding her friend's depression, clapping the other girl on her shoulder. "Things will be fine, Riku, don't be such a worry-wart all the time!"

Oh the irony, the one that usually is the worry-wart is Karasu Tengu, not her. Just as things can't get any worse, Riku looks up and she nearly balks at the two familiar, humanized form.

What are they doing here?

To answer her question, Tsurara flashes her a thumbs-up while Aotabo holds up a sheet of paper, we'll help you, scrawled there. Before she can say anything, the two vanish, leaving her gawking at the hallway full of passing students.

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When the last period's over, Riku is the first person out of the door, the classroom and the school. She doesn't bother stopping to return Tsurara's and Aotabo's greeting, knowing full well it's rude but not caring in the face of a much greater crisis.

Thankfully, neither of her attendants are offended by the treatment, knowing the problem at hand too. Riku is the first one to reach the mansion, taking off her shoes and throwing them away recklessly, she calls out, "I'm home!" as she slides open the shoji door.

"Welcome home, M'lady!"

A chorus of voices answer Riku's call.

"Huh...?" Riku gapes at the state of disarray in her house. The stinking and sour smell of alcohol and sake assaults her nose and she nearly gags; she pushes a drunk yokai out of the way. "All of you! Gather around!" she taps her foot repeatedly on the tatami mat as the yokais drunkenly pull themselves together and try to do as they're told. Riku jabs a finger at the mess. "What is the occasion for such a celebration?" she demands.

Natto Kozo laughs and from his tone, Riku can tell that he's already intoxicated. "To honor your transformation, M'lady! We're celebrating with sushi and sake!"

Riku's eyes flare. "Don't give me that—you all just want an opportunity to party!" Instantly, all the yokais went silent and she knows she's right; she sighs heavily. "Whatever, just clean up. My human friends are coming and I don't want any of you to appear before them. There's an omnyōji as well," she turns and steps away. "Unless you want to be exterminated, feel free to ignore my orders."

And she slids the shoji door shut.

Following her leave is a cacophony of groans and whines; much to their chagrin, the yokais start to clean up their mess. They may love partying but they love their lives—and mistress of course—more.

Natto Kozo groans childishly. "I didn't know M'lady is friends with an omnyōji."

Silence answer him. Finally, Kubinashi breaks the silence by saying, "Friends with an omnyōji?"

"WHAT!"

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Wakana Nura chuckles slightly at her daughter's distressed state. "If you keep pacing, you'll wear a hole in mat, dear."

Riku stops immediately, turning on her heel to face her mother with a pout on her face. "Mom—you know things will go awry if they find out!" The little princess makes a disgruntled _tsk!_ when the bell rings, accompanied by a chorus of greeting from outside. "What I don't get," she mutters under her breath but still loud enough for Wakana to hear her. "is why Kiyotsugu always chose me to bug."

Wakana giggles, not at all helping her daughter. "Maybe he likes you." She said teasingly.

"Ew," Riku responds childishly, eliciting more giggles from her mother as they head out to greet the—unwelcome—guests. Wakana walks ahead, eager to meet her daughter's friends, not noticing how her daughter deliberately lag behind. Talking about crushes—however briefly—brings Riku's thoughts to Rikuo.

Listlessly, her fingers brush her lips; the memory of a pair of cold lips on her own taking her away from reality. Her heart thrums with the wish to see him again.

"Riku, what are you doing?"

Blushing, she shakes her head, sending short strands of her dark hair flying. She shoots her mother a glare when Wakana wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. She turns to her friends, ushering them towards the parlor.

"Right! Let's begin—" Kiyotsugu frowns briefly at being interrupted but the negative expression melts when he sees who's serving him tea.

"Whoa... Nura, we didn't know you had such a hot older sister!"

Kana blinks. "Riku doesn't have a sister."

Riku throws Shima a poisonous glare for blatantly ogling Kejoro—though if it's Kubinashi here, her classmate would've been dead the moment he's out of her sight. And Kejoro isn't even embarrassed, in fact, she seems flattered and happy. She stands, grabs her attendant's arm and drags her away.

"And for the record, Kejoro's a servant here! I don't have a sister!" Riku shouts out, exasperated, as she hauls Kejoro down the long hallway and into the kitchen where she ushers her in. She nearly screams in frustration when she sees that the yokais are walking around in the open. "Don't you know that my human friends are coming?"

"Oh? We didn't receive the notice."

"That's fine then," says Riku, sighing as she rubs her forehead to stall the oncoming headache. "Just—just don't come out. Pass the word around, hide. Don't show yourself, not even to stave your own curiosity."

And with that said, she leaves the kitchen. She drags herself, full of dread, back to the parlor. She opens her mouth to say something only for the words to die in her throat. No one is there where her friends are suppose to be.

"No!"

She's going to kill Kiyotsugu for instigating this.

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Yura Keikain is the real culprit actually but what Riku Nura doesn't know won't hurt her... the only one getting hurt is Kiyotsugu. The Keikain heiress looks around, the poker-face of hers not altering once. She pokes her head in every room, trying to discern where the yokais are hiding because the yoki here, in Nura Mansion, is just so powerful. She wonders how many yokais lurk here, cursing Nura and her family.

"Hm." Yura turns her head sharply, ignoring the chatters of her classmates coming from behind her. She gazes out at the courtyard; she thinks she hears some chatters there as well but...

"Yura, is something wrong?"

Yura shakes her head at Kana's question. "No, it's fine. Must be my imagination." Her eyes scan the courtyard greenery again but when she sense nothing else, she motions for the rest of the group to another part of the house. From the corner of her eyes, she sees Kana moving around with ease, with familiarity as if she's been here before.

"Kana... you're familiar with Nura, right?"

Said girl looks up, nodding and smiling—the latter action tinging with sadness as the courtyard fades from view. This time, Yura voices the question that Kana asked her earlier.

Kana looks sheepish now, rubbing the back of her head. "I remember when Riku and I are younger, we used to play here with her father, her mother watching from the sidelines and then there's this..." she frowns, brows creasing. "No... there's only the two of us."

"Why do you look so sad about a memory which is supposed to be happy?" Yura inquires curiously, silently wondering where Riku's father is and wonders is he nice or not; his wife is splendid though there's very little people in such a big house. And she wonders why Kana is sad, playing with her parents isn't something she's ever experienced. All they ever asked of her is to train and train to be a better omnyōji because she's a girl and she must be powerful enough to inherit the clan. Her fists clench at the thought of those sexist bastards.

"Well... Uncle Rihan has been dead for a few years now and ever since, Riku never invited me to her house anymore... I suppose it's too painful for her." Kana looks up at her and smiles, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But you guys cheer her up so much she's willing to let us in. Sometimes, Kiyotsugu's obsession with yokais can help a lot. I'm glad we have such friends."

Yura's eyes widen. "You think I'm a friend?"

"Of course!" Kana hesitates, biting her lip. "Or... you don't—"

"No!" Yura protests, reaching out to clasp Kana's hands. "Of course I want to be friends with you guys!"

All her life, Yura has been wishing for sincere friends. Those that want to be close to her because she's her, not because of her family's wealth or fame or power. These people here have never heard of Keikain, she hopes that they won't change even after they know of the Keikain clan.

Before Kana can answer though she looks positively happy, Kiyotsugu lets out a yell and throw open a random door. Yura blinks, sensing yoki omitting from inside and rushes to the doorway. She sees nothing and when her friends ask her what's wrong, she shrugs. "Nah... it's nothing."

"This place is blinking huge!" Shima remarks as they make another turn down a hallway—identical to the one they just left. "What if we're lost?"

"We already are," Yura says miserably. She sighs and there's that feeling again. Her head jerks up, looking high above at the ledge close to the ceiling. She frowns, moving on and silently wondering what was wrong with her sense today. It continue, this false yoki senses—like from behind the cupboard, near the stairs and when they reach the dining hall, a lone and stinking Natto Kozo on the plate. She looks around, sliding another shoji door open and she backs away.

The group of humans gawk at the man behind the door. Veins pop on his face belied his anger and he looks ready to yell at them but he suddenly coughs and hacks blood. Snarling, "Get lost!" he continues his coughing fit, leaving the humans not knowing that to think.

Stunned, Kiyotsugu slides the door shut in an unusually subdued manner.

They hurry down the hallway and darts into a room, ignoring the calls and angered shouts of 'Pathetic!' from the man they just left.

Shima sighs, rubbing the sweat borne of fear from his forehead. "Safe."

"This is even more creepy." Kana mutters, her eyes flitting along the numerous Buddha statues.

Yura hums in agreement, sensing particularly strong yokai presence—there's a great number of them in here, too much for them to hide. She grins, knowing that she's got the yokais lurking in this house cornered now. Her hand reaches out to touch the surface of one of the statues but a cough stops her from doing so.

She turns. "Huh?"

An old man stands, smiling cheerfully at them, at the doorway. His head protrudes backward in the shape of a gourd though it reminds Yura of a clump of large potatoes sticking together. Other than the odd head, he looks like any old man on the streets.

"Who're you?"

The old man chuckles. "I would advise against touching them. They're sacred to our religion."

"Oops. Sorry," Yura pulls her hand away quickly, drawing another smile from the old man.

"I'm Riku's grandfather," he says cheerily, starting to hand out candies to them. "Thank you for taking care of my granddaughter, she's always so clumsy and without—"

"Grandpa!" the door slams open loudly and in tumbles Riku Nura, her brown hair disheveled and amber eyes wide with alarm. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, he's just giving us some candies!" Kiyotsugu replies. "Thanks, old man!"

"Hey!" snaps Riku as her grandfather skips away. "Don't be so rude to my grandfather!"

"Right," mutters Kiyotsugu, sounding and looking apologetic and guilty under the heavy glares of his friends. "Sorry..."

Riku huffs. "Why did you leave without telling me? You could've waited!"

"Hey, hey," Kiyotsugu backtracks when Riku turns on him. "It's not me! It was—"

"Rat!"

"Yokai!"

The two different outburst draw the attention of the rest. Riku inhales sharply, she's given specific orders not to show themselves. What on earth is that yokai thinking? She rushes forward but Yura thrust out and arm before her, stopping her in her tracks. She's thinking of ducking out of the way when Kana screams again and clings onto her.

"Kana—what's wrong?" The hyperventilating girl doesn't reply, pointing fearfully to a corner of the Buddha statue. "Huh—oh." Relief seizes Riku's body because the rat yokai is unrecognizable and does not belong to her clan so Yura can exterminate it and hopefully clear her suspicion of Riku's house.

"I can't stand rats!"

"Right, it's gone now. Yura chased it away." Riku mutters, wriggling out of Kana's hold and pushing her onto Kiyotsugu, allowing the taller boy to console their mutual friend. She runs after Yura who's chasing after the fleeing rat yokai, calling out, "Wait!" Dimly, she registers Tsurara and Aotabo's presence following her and the omnyōji.

Riku halts, suddenly interested and alarmed all the same when Yura, from her puse, draws out some paper charms.

"What are—" she starts to ask but Tsurara cuts in, fear and wariness lacing her voice.

"Shikigami. Paper charms and main weapons of omnyōjis."

"Thankfully, that yokai isn't from our clan." Aotabo remarks as Yura throws her shikigami and exterminates the rat, which disintegrates into ashes.

"Are you okay?" Riku blinks, suddenly realizing that the Yuki Onna and Aotabo has already disappeared the moment Yura's attention turn towards her.

"Um... yeah," the Nura answers, smiling lop-sidedly. "Is that..."

"Really a yokai?" Yura continues, blinking coolly. Riku nods. "Yes. Your house is full of them—" Riku winces and she hopes Yura doesn't notice—"are you really okay? If you want, I can exterminate them all—"

"Wargh!" Riku blanches, coughing to cover her distressed outburst. "No, no, it's okay. I'm used to it and they don't bother us anyway. Mom's family had been cursed for years so it's pretty normal for us!"

Yura blinks slowly, trying to process the information that a human doesn't mind living under the same roof as a yokai. But, finally, she smiles. "If they're bothering you, I'll kill them all!" All that said in a cheerful tone and an excited gleam in her eyes sent a shiver down Riku's spine but she smiles anyway.

Riku—accompanied by Wakana and Tsurara and Aotabo and Kejoro—waves her friend off, seeing them waving back and happy, she smiles. Her hand falls back to her side after the group of completely normal humans leave her sight. She sighs in relief, clasping a hand to her heart dramatically. "Thank goodness nothing bad happen today."

Aotabo glances at his mistress, baffled that she could think so. "Did M'lady forget about the rat yokai? It's not a friendly yokai, ya know?"

Riku looks to the side. "Let's just forget about it."

"Yeah."

But apparently, they cannot forget about it. The moment they re-enter their own home, a group of small yokais carrying bandages—some of the small yokais are rolling it to make it move as they are too small to move it—and some larger ones carrying tubs of water nearly run into them. Disheveled apologies are thrown towards them before they disappear down a hallway.

Riku blinks in concern, recalling a particular tub filled with crimson liquid and scented of blood. "What happened?" she asks, snagging the collar of a yokai and inquiring.

"M'lady!" the small yokai greets, bowing and nearly dropping the roll of bandages she's carrying. "I—Is there something you need, M'lady?"

Riku studies the humanoid yokai close, noting that she's never seen a yokai with the form of a young girl before—the blue hair and eyes are hard to miss after all. "You're new, right?" she surmises since the familiar yokais never stutter around her.

The young yokai blushes, nodding.

"The problem in the house?" Riku prompts.

"Ah, r-right!" the yokai stutters, as if she's afraid Riku will smite her to bits. "S-sir Ryota-Neko f-from t-the Bakeneko clan c-came by an h-hour ago, when M'lady is e-entertaining h-her friends." The girl gulps once more, the pink on her face deepning into a crimson shade. "H-He's injured—um, very badly I – I think—and h-he collapsed in f-front of the h-house—"

"What? Who attacked him...um... who are you?"

"I – I'm Zashiki Warashi, M'lady. A – and—I'm sorry!—I don't know. I'm a newbie, the higher-ups won't trust me with such information." Zashiki Warashi looks mortified to be saying such things as she excused herself and flees from the trio of 'higher-ups'.

"Odd kids," Aotabo grunts. "Won't be able to do much in battle though."

"Who cares," Tsurara says. "I have to go help tend to the wounded!"

"Right, I have to go up our defenses as well and make sure no other territories of ours are stolen," Aotabo raises a hand and waves at Riku in parting as he leaves. "Don't leave the Nura mansion, M'laday!"

"Okay..." says Riku to the empty air before she turns and makes her way back to her room. She wanders in, sliding the door shut and opening the door to the courtyard instead where she can enjoy the scent and sight of the cherry blossom tree in the Nura estate. Just as she settles down, a small gray rat, wearing a yukata scurries towards her from the shadows; she stiffens in alarm.

"You... who are you?" Riku asks, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The rat yokai, a messenger from the looks of it, bows in respect but that doesn't lower Riku's guard. His eyes dart around wildly, as if searching for a threat—which Riku thinks is ridiculous because, messenger or not, he's in enemy territory. "I bring a message from Master Kyuso, Lady Riku."

"Talk, rat."

" 'We have your human friends. If you wish to save them, give up your rights to be Third Heir of the Nura Clan or I'll kill them.' Please write a letter, M'lady; you can have me send it to Master Kyuso or you can deliver it personally."

Riku would've snap at the rat if not for the trembles on the small frame. Her eyes soften, knowing that he's merely a messanger and she can't take out her anger on him. She takes in a deep breath, silently wondering what should she do. She doesn't have to ponder long because at the moment, the door to her room slides open, revealing her grandfather in all his glory and his own personal attendant, Karasu-Tengu.

The rat yokai squeaks and Karasu-Tengu lunges for him.

"Wait!" yells Riku, snatching the crow yokai from the air and stepping on the rat's tail to prevent him from leaving. "He's just a messenger—he means no harm!"

Karasu-Tengu pulls back, disbelief on his face. "You're too trusting, Lady Riku!"

Said girl sighs. "I know," she admits, shoulders slumping as she heads to her desk and rummages around for writing utensils.

Karasu-Tengu who has heard the message from Kyuso through the rat yelps in alarm. "M'lady, what are you doing! You can't be serious about writing your resignation later! Don't listen to his bullshit! How do you even know they're caught!"

Wordlessly, Riku jabs a finger at the piece of cloth draped over the rat's back, drawing Nurarihyon's and his attendant's attention to it, finally noticing that it's not a yukata but a handkerchief and it has the smell of the human friend of Riku's.

"I can smell Kana's scent there, the tiniest drop of her blood."

"That's great—!"

"What?" Riku whirls on Karasu-Tengu, fury in her eyes as she slams her fist on the table. "I knew something like this will happen someday—it'll increase and get more dangerous if I ever inherit the title. I hate this, I hate being related to a yokai family!"

"Lady Riku! How could you! Do you hate us that much!" Karasu-Tengu yells in aghast. He turns to Nurarihyon who has been silent all the while, tears in his eyes. "Master, tell her that she's being stupid!"

"Whatever you do, Riku, see it through the end." Nurarihyon says before he departs, still blowing puffs of smoke into the air with his pipe. The crow yokai gapes at him then at Riku before he flies after his master.

Riku's fists remain clench on the table.

"They're mistaken, aren't they?" Riku sniffles, wiping the tears from her eyes and turning to the rat yokai who's gazing at her in sympathy. "I never wanted to do this to you but Master Kyuso is holding my family hostage—please understand, Lady Riku, I have children and a mate, I can't endanger them. Either you come with me or you can give me the letter or... or..."

"Let your family die?" Riku continues miserably. "You don't have to worry, I'll deliver the message myself. You just have to wait long enough to guide me to where Kyuso-stupid is—"

"—or we can fight back, defeat them and everyone wins. Well... except them of course but still..."

She stills.

The rat yokai leans closer. "Lady Riku, the only reason Master Kyuso's doing this is because he fears you—he may not admit it or it's just at a subconscious level, but he's scared of you. You have your yokai side to fight for you, he fears that you'll lead the Hyakki Yako someday and—"

"It's not him, is it?" Riku's frowning now, mind whirling as possibilities swirl in her mind. "He's being controlled by someone else... a traitor, here... among the ranks..."

"M'lady!" she looks down. "I'll go stall, please, I don't want you to lose so please—come and bring your army of a hundred."

"I don't—" she starts to say but the rat's already gone. She gapes at the empty spot he's just been; did the rat realize he's just left her with the task of saving him and his family plus her friends? She stands, abruptly, and runs down the hallway and into another one before she reaches the room where Ryota-Neko rests. As she's expected, the people she wants to see is there—not entirely though, the other people she wants to see is her father and her yokai self and neither are present in her sight.

"Kubinashi, Kejoro, Tsurara, Aotabo, Kappa, Kurotabo—lend me your fear."

The aforementioned yokais gape at her but she sees the light and hope shining in their eyes. Ryota-Neko's looking at her too, his mouth ajar but he quickly gathers his wits once he realize what she's meaning to say.

"Wait, Lady Riku—I want to come too!" the cat yokai struggles to stand but he staggers and would've fallen had Kubinashi not catch him. "I have to get him back, for the honor of my clan and for my clansmen and myself!"

Riku hesitates, unsure if bringing an injured person to the battlefield is wise. But her heart throbs harder and faster, the burning sensation flooding her body; she inhales sharply, staggering to the cherry blossom because he's holding out his hand to her and he's just there.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with it from here. Sweet dreams... Riku."

Rikuo rises to his full height, ignoring the awed looks on his attendants' face, smirking as he rests his blade on his shoulder.

"Come on, we'll be hunting rats till dawn."

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Yura Keikain has to add this event to the list of Times Yura Keikain Is A Loser. Now, she's mentally berating herself for letting her guard down and if she has no need to stay conscious so she can protect her friend, she would've been hitting her head on the metal bars of her prison-cage till she passes out from blood loss. Heck, she'd even let Ryuuji bully her till she cried if that means she can remedy this mistake. Her arrogance and overconfidence that has them in this sorry situation; and Kana's whimpers aren't helping her guilty conscience.

She shifts back, her arms shielding Kana protectively, and glares at one of the rat yokais—hideous creatures, really, with the head of a rat and body of a furry man.

"Hey, boss," one of them says. "That brat of Nurarihyon's isn't coming. Why don't you just let us have our way with these girls?" At the end of his sentence, he leers suggestively at Yura and Kana, eliciting a tiny shriek from the latter.

"Stay away! I'm warning you!" Yura snarls though she knows she can'r do anything because without her shikigamis she is as weak as an average human. She squeezes her eyes shut and for the sake of Kana, starts to beg mentally for someone to save them.

Just as one of the rat yokais hand reach out to snag Kana's shirt, the wall next to them crumbles. Yura's eyes snap open, hungrily taking in the sight before her. Bizzare and terrifying, the hundred new yokais' eyes glow crimson; Kyuso and his stinking rats definitely have the right to be trembling in fear. The Keikain's eyes widen, she's only heard it from stories but this must be it... her eyes search the crowd of gathered yokais, immediately recognizing the protruding spiky hair amongs the yokais.

The stupid rats scramble back the moment they realize this. However, even more idiotic than his minions is Kyuso himself seeing as he narrows his eyes and actually dares to step forward, challenging the seemingly stronger-looking yokais (all of different sizes and species).

"Who are you lackeys and what do you think you're doing? Who ordered you to mobilize the Hyakki Yako? I demanded Nura Riku here to retract her claim as heir, not you—"

"And I am here."

As Yura suspected, the boy with protruding hair is the leader. His crimson eyes are inhuman and cold, glinting with cruel amusement. But they soften the moment they land on a particularly small and normal looking rat yokai. He scoops up the rat, gently ruffling the fur. "You did good," he murmurs, his voice cutting through the silent air.

Kysuo snarls. "So you're conspiring with them, Gin?"

The rat yokai—apparently a traitor—in the hands of the Nurarihyon flinches but say nothing against the accusation. The leader of the Hyakki Yako pats the head of the rat, Gin, once before he passes the wounded rat to one of his comrades.

He assesses the situation with calm crimson eyes, then he points the tip of his blade at Kysuo. "Slaughter them all."

And with that said, the bloodbath starts.

Kana screams in fear—being the only human amongst them that has no experience with yokais—and recoils, covering her eyes and sobbing, at the gruesome scene before her. Yura instantly wraps her arms around the girl, trying to find a way out of the cage amidst the slaughterhouse but she needn't to. She jolts when the gigantic yokai she heard someone called Aotabo grasps the metal bars in both fists before pulling them apart—large enough for both girls to crawl through—as if they're made of jelly.

Her jaw drops. "W... why are you, yokais, helping us humans?"

The giant yokai grunts, flexing his muscles. "Because, omnyōji, I do not harm children." And he's gone, punching rat yokais left and right.

"U – um, miss human?" Yura turns and her gaze lands on a young yokai girl. "P-please leave now. O-or y-you'll be i-in d-d-danger."

"What about you?" It is not in Yura's nature to care about humans but this yokai looks just so damn like a pre-school child.

"I – I tend to the wounded." The child smiles. "Y – you don't have t-to w-worry a-about me, miss human." And like the yokai before her did, she disappears.

Yura would've liked to exterminate yokai but... she has Kana to take care of. She steals one last glance at the Nurarihyon leading them and notices that he is standing calmly, not raising his sword or doing anything in battle, merely focusing on drinking his sake.

She takes Kana by the hand and starts pulling her away from the fray, punching a yokai out of the way and is about to make a mad dash for the large hole in the wall (courtesy of the Hyakki Yako) when an unearthly howl of rage fills the room.

She turns, bowing to her curiosity's will, and she nearly gasps as Kyuso mutates; growing larger and larger, more fur on his back and uglier than before. A cat yokai lunge at him, making scratches on his face a few times before being swatted away by Kyuso himself. It's laughable for a rat to defeat a cat but this is the world of the yokai, not the world compromised of science and reality where cats always defeat the rats.

Then, much to Yura's surprise since she can't believe he's that stupid, Kyuso turns on the Nurarihyon who's still calmly sipping his sake. Kyuso roars trimuphantly as if he's already won even though he hasn't even made a move. Just as she thinks that, the rat yokai lunges for the smaller yokai. The Nurarihyon merely smirks, holding up the saucer to his lips as if he's going to continue drinking. But to everyone's surprise—judging by the chorus of gasps, Yura included—he purses his lips and blows gently.

The gentle breeze from his lips births demonic flames in the form of liquid. The blue flames surround Kyuso who hasn't even a chance to lift his claws against the Nurarihyon. Even from the distance and the sounds of battle, Yura can tell what he's saying because she's quite the avid lip-reader.

"Secret Technique: Soul Mirror, Deadly Water—Cherry Blossoms." A long and a pain in the ass to say but somehow, when the yokai says that, he sounds never-endingly cool; something Yura is sure she'll never be able to pull off. "Flames produced that will never quells until either the ripples quell or the opponent turn into ashes—which you will be in a few more seconds." A dark chuckle falls from his lips. "You might have stood a chance had you not come after me. I wasn't planning on interfering at all but since you initiated the attack..." he shrugs helplessly as he watches the yokai burns. "...I can't let you leave a scar or anything marring this body... because I'm just so-o-o precious."

He giggled at the end there, Yura swear she hears him does so. Her jaw drops and so did the yokais surrounding their master. No one pays much attention to what Kyuso's howling and Yura doesn't understand a word of it... he wants more freedom, as if he's chained and is a slave to someone's will.

She shoots the Nurarihyon one last look, promising herself that someday, she's going to hunt him down.

From across the distance, he looks her in the eye and smirks: challenge accepted.

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"Master Rikuo?"

Rikuo stares at the silhouette of the girls before he turns to acknowledge Tsurara's call. "Hm?"

"Ah," the Yuki Onna blushes prettily—that, Rikuo can admit; but in his mind surfaced the face of another girl, blushing furiously, face the shade of the petals from the cherry blossoms he loves so much. "Nothing, shall we head home now?"

"Yeah..."

The mist lifts, the sun shining down on them. But Rikuo's stubborn, he holds on, clings on long enough until he reaches the Nura mansion before he allows himself to retreat into his subconsciousness.

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A/N

The longest chapter I've ever wrote so I'm not going to say much here. Just... review...


	4. IV

**Sarishinohara**

_"Distant Fields"_

~x~

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Chapter Four: These Emotions.

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The petals from the cherry blossom tree fluttered down, scattering all over the ground. Mesmerized, Riku reached out and grasped one petal in her arms, smiling at the beauty of it all. The world she was in which was her subconsciousness was beautiful, the cherry blossom tree glowing pink and gold, lightning up the darkness. Riku had tried exploring the place while waiting for Rikuo to return but no matter how long she walked, she could never walk past the darkness, always returning to the starting point. This places was enchanted and she didn't mind being trap here for quite awhile because she knew Rikuo wouldn't leave her alone here—no matter how much they may like it.

Riku leaned back against the tree bark, silently wondering why the this tree would be in her mindscape. Sure, she thought the tree back in the real world was pretty but she wasn't that obsessed over it. The tree brought bitter-sweet memories to her; back when her father was alive and that they'd play with Kana and—

A splitting headache. Was Rikuo hurt? Her heart fluttered worriedly and she had to place a hand over it to calm herself. If Rikuo died, she would surely too but he seemed—no, he was—so strong that losing seemed impossible; a small fry like Kyuso wouldn't hurt him that badly would it?

Riku rubbed her forehead, trying to remember what she was thinking before. Dad, alive and Kana. Right. They were playing and her mother was there, by the sidelines with some other pale woman —and there's that splitting headache again and the fact burned in her mind that, while her mother's face was clear as day, the pale woman's face was blurry and faded as if she's not supposed to be in the picture. And there's also that other kid she and Kana used to play with; the child's face was blurry but from what she can recollect, he was a mean bully.

Gentle and warm hands cupped the side of her face, worming up to rub her headache, soothing her mind. She stiffened because she was sure that there was too little space for someone to be behind her. Riku blanched when she considered someone else being there. She tried to turn but that someone held her in place.

"Stop thinking, don't remember, keep your mind blank and the pain will go away," the voice—definitely female, soothing and warm and familiar and mellifluous—promised. Riku, despite not knowing who she speaker was though she had the feeling she must know who, trusted her and tried to do as told. She cleared her mind, thinking of nothing but somehow red eyes and silver-black hair managed to work their way into her mind, the face painted behind her closed eyelids.

Rikuo was her other self, her alter ego, sure she should be able to trust him. Should being the keyword because no one would be able to trust some they've never met before (even if said person is a part of you you've never met); Riku would trust Rikuo, even though she knew nothing about him. And the reality that she'd never really known him hurts.

The female voice chuckled, amused.

"Didn't I tell not to think of anything painful?"

"He's on the bitter-sweet territory," admitted Riku to the lady's question.

"What territory?"

Riku yelped, jerking away and the lady gasped softly before disappearing. The young Nura turned to see no one there.

"Look up." She would've done so but he beat her to it, reaching down and tilting her head sharply upwards to look into his eyes. Unable to help it, a blush crept up to her face and she hoped that the yokai would just pass it off as the glow from the cherry blossom tree's natural light. She knew he could hear what she was thinking and the frustrating was that it wasn't a two-way traffic; she wanted to know what he was thinking too. "Here. I'm here."

_Stupid, of course she knows I'm here_—

Riku stiffened in Rikuo's grip, the thought from before wasn't hers. Rikuo seemed to realize this the same she did because his expression went jaw-slacked; but then he gathered himself and smiled—however small it was, it was genuine and they both knew it. He chuckled, his grip on her relaxing.

"Your will's stronger than I thought it'd be." Riku scowled, taking it the wrong way and she was more than a little hurt. She opened her mouth to retort but Rikuo leaned forward suggestively so she clamped her mouth shut and backed away, turning her cheek the other way, missing the hurt look on Rikuo's face. "I must admit," he said, pulling back. "I'm impressed."

"If that's sarcasm, you can shove it—"

"I mean it."

Silence ensued with neither being able to say anything to the other. Riku shifted uncomfortably, before she raised her head, looking at her yokai self who stared back at her, a slight and confused frown creasing his brows.

"The lady..."

"What lady?" Rikuo sounded alarmed which made Riku more suspicious.

"What are you hiding?"

_A lot of things_. "Um, nothing." The yokai said unconvincingly, shifting nervously, worrying his lip. Rikuo looked at her with large hurt-puppy-eyes which she didn't think he could've pull off but he managed anyway. She knew he was lying but she melted when he showed her that look.

"..."

" I think I should go—"

"No!"

"What?" Riku was sure she'd heard wrong. What was Rikuo trying to do? If they both remained in this dream world, what would happen to their body? It'd go comatose—she had been thinking and had come to such a conclusion—and what would the other yokais think? "Can you repeat that?"

"No. It's just... I... nothing," he said glumly, swinging his legs off the branch and dangling it. "See you next time."

The world faded to black but Rikuo's sad and glum face still remained burn in her memory.

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_"You're leaving?" He tilted his head to the side, making her notice how his spiky hair was painted a golden hue under the sunlight. His legs dangled listlessly over the branch, his lips pushed forward into a pout. She thought he looked cute that way._

_"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes at his childishness and reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair._

_Riku squinted, unable to move an inch in the dream. She couldn't make out the either of their faces but the protruding hair made her suspect that he was Rikuo. The girl he was talking to however... she could only make out brown hair._

_"Will you come back soon?" the young Rikuo look-alike asked hopefully. From the sound of his voice, Riku was pretty sure he had a crush on the girl._

_"Of course!"_

_And the voice told of obliviousness to the boy's feelings, or so they thought anyway. The girl was smiling from what Riku can tell from the stretch of her cheeks._

"M'lady!"

Said girl blinked blearily, trying to clear her mind. She couldn't remember most of the details but whatever she was dreaming of... seemed pleasant. Tsurara must've deduced so because her attendant smiled—somehow more lovingly than before and the love there didn't seem to be the sibling type—sweetly at her.

"Had a nice dream?"

Red, white, black swirled in her mind as she grinned. "Yeah!" Belatedly, she added: "Crushing those rats had been fun." She sounded sadistic but she realized that she had changed ever since her yokai awoken permanently in her. His thirst to be the Third Heir, his will and his likes and dislikes, influenced her. She also shared some of his memories but the dream... was it a memory? Had he taken control over her when she hadn't been aware in the past? For him to meet the girl... she wondered who she was, to be able to make him so happy like that...

"M'lady?"

She shook her head to clear her mind, swiping some of her brown hair from her eyes. "It's nothing." In silence, her eyes drifted to the clock on her study table and her eyes nearly bugged out. "Oh no, we're going to be late!" She sprang to her feet, throwing her covers off her and was about to full her yukata off to enter the shower when Tsurara shrieked.

"What?" she turned, bewildered. "What's wrong?"

"W–why are you undressing before me?!" the Yuki-Onna shrieked. "That's not appropriate at all!"

Riku's jaw couldn't have drop any lower. "B–but, we do this routine every single day..." the young girl said, baffled. The poor girl couldn't have been anymore confused. "You've even seen me naked—"

A particularly loud shriek from the Yuki-Onna nearly busted Riku's eardrums. Her scream however released a long breath of cold ice, freezing Riku—who was in the middle of undressing—on the spot.

"You're too open and it's too soon for me!" Tsurara yelled, covering her eyes as she scrambled out of her room.

What. on. earth. happened?

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This morning was totally humiliating and she'd insulted her mistress. Slapping herself on the cheeks to beat in some courage, Tsurara took a deep breath and released it, unknowingly sending a chill in the hallway she'd just left.

She opened the door to her mistress' classroom, about to call out her name but she froze in her steps. She scanned the room, the panic adding up when she realized her mistress was not there. Usually, Riku always spend her lunch time in her class unless she had a summon from the teachers or she had to go do something urgent.

Tsurara's head snapped to where she heard the familiar voice of Kana Ieanaga; her mistress' childhood best friend. She approached the girl, putting on a smile when the human girl turned. "Ah, Ieanaga right?" she asked for the sake of politeness; when the girl nodded, she continued. "Where's M'lady—I mean, where's Riku?"

"She's sick, she didn't come to school today."

"What!" Tsurara's mouth dropped open in horror, once again unconsciously unleashing her cold breath into the classroom—though fortunately for them, she had donned on her scarf unlike early morning when she'd breathed into Riku's face.

"What!" someone else—Kiyotsugu was his name, Tsurara recalled—echoed her reaction in response to the news. Tsurara snapped out of her shocked state to narrow her eyes at him in suspicion, was this the guy who's trying to woo her Rikuo? "If she's not here, how would we have a group meeting about the oncoming event?!"

Tsurara blinked, stopping her glare for a moment. "What meeting?" she asked curiously.

Kiyotsugu didn't answer, in fact, none of the members even notice her. apparently, they were stunned to know that there's actually an event in the club. The group leader slammed his fist on the table. "It's decided! We shall have our meeting at Nura's house—on the side note, we'll visit to make sure she's okay."

"Who's more important?" Kana muttered under her breath, crossing her arms and shooting Kiyotsugu a brief glare for caring more about some yokai than his friend.

Thinking about yokais however, brought her thoughts to that man, that handsome yokai whom Yura said was a Nurarihyon. Though Yura apologized for failing to protect her and was ashamed to taint the names of omnyōji for needing a yokai to save her, she was actually guiltily glad that Yura failed to protect her because if she'd succeeded, they'd never have met the handsome yokai, wouldn't they? Unconsciously, a blush spread across her cheeks as she thought of how the yokai's smirk had complimented his face.

Yura, unknown to Kana, had noticed the blush and easily, she could guess who'd elicited such reactions. Her fists clenched at her sides even as she nodded, agreeing to go to visit Nura—because she was also worried about the adorable girl who, Kana had said to be rather weak in physical health. She settled herself in her seat, shooting a brief glance to the empty seat by her side, when the bell rang, signalling classes' start.

Yura was so distracted by the thoughts of revenge on the silver-haired Nurarihyon that she didn't even notice when school had ended until Kana tapped her on the shoulder, glancing at her in concern.

"Don't tell me you're coming down with something, too?" she sounded genuinely worried which moved Yura's heart.

"No, no. I'm stronger than I look!" she said cheerfully, smiling. "Let's go visit Riku."

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At home, in her room in the Nura mansion, Riku sneezed. Sniffling miserably, she rubbed her runny nose before lying down again on her futon. She didn't protest or react when Kejōrō took her temperature and, along with Kubinashi, fussed all over her. It all stopped when Zen entered the room.

Riku cracked an eye open, seeing his disapproving glare, she sighed loudly. "Whatever you have to say, feel free to do so now."

Zen _hmph_ed. "You're so pathetic, a little freeze from Yuki-Onna is all it takes to take you down?"

"I was also in battle yesterday!" Riku protested at the unfairness of it all, recalling how embarrassing it was for Zashiki-Warashi to come into her room to find her in such a state; unfortunately, the young yokai had splashed her with cold water to make the ice evaporate faster, thus the reason of her cold now.

"So you overdid it and now you have a high fever?!"

"Your sickness is even worse than mine!"

Zen sighed, giving it up as a lost cause to argue with an ill person—and he didn't care much about his current condition. He crossed his arms. "What did you remember from last night?"

Riku remained silent, blinking listlessly as her mind drifted off to yesterday's fight. Her yokai self hadn't killed any yokais but the leader rat Kyuso... but the others of her clan, her caretakers since young, had slaughtered so many and they'd laughed while doing so. She closed her eyes, knowing that the nature of yokais are something she couldn't alter. She shook her head to clear the gruesome scene but Zen mistook it for an answer to his question.

"I know this may sound harsh to you, Riku, but I sincerely wish that your yōkai form would take over the title Third Heir." The bird yokai stood, turning on his heels and walking away—unable to shrug off the hostile feeling and he turned, stunned to see red eyes instead of honey colored ones. Just as he opened his mouth to comment on it, he suddenly found himself flying out of the room as somebody else rushed into the room. He glowered at the Yuki-Onna who was fussing over Riku but he remained silent once he realized that Riku's eyes had returned to their normal color.

He left, silently wondering just who he was talking to all the time and how was he supposed to know whether or not the real, human Riku is still there when the yokai in her had awoken. Another hypothesis sent a shiver down his spine but he tried hard not to think about it. However, the thought lingered and planted seeds of doubt in his mind.

What if the human Riku was merely an illusion the yokai was using? And what if the person he's been talking to all the time was the yokai... and... had the human Riku ever existed? He shuddered at his own dangerous train of thoughts. But worse was the proofs of his own theories surfacing in his mind because yokais had better memories than humans so why couldn't he remember the events from back before the Nidaime died. It was a total blank, only vague images of his own life in his own home, not the time he'd spend with the toddler Riku in her younger years at Nura mansion.

Zen pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to ease the oncoming headache as he stumbled back to his own room.

Back in her own room, Riku was feeling worse than before. Ever since the talk with Zen, her body had been burning—not literally, of course but she felt as if her innards were on fire and despite what Tsurara had done to her earlier, she wished she was here now. Wait... wasn't she here already?

"Tsurara," she gasped, weakly reaching out to grab her attendant's hand. The Yuki-Onna yelped when her burning hand came in contact with ice-cold skin. "Please get me some of your special-made ice. It's burning..."

"Right!"

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Nurarihyon sat at the porch, gazing out at the afternoon sky; he took a deep breath from his pipe, releasing it and watching as the smoke created small and grey puffs of smoke. Pretty yet not permanent, dispersing when the molecules within them drifted away from one another; it reminded him strangely of his grandchildren—unable to live without dispersing.

"Did you say something, Lord Nurarihyon?"

Nurarihyon's gaze flitted to Mokugyo Daruma for and instant before he returned his attention to the already fading smoke. He blew more because when the smoke faded, he thought he saw his granddaughter fading instead.

"No, I said nothing." He was slipping up again, he didn't know how old he really was. He closed his eyes, putting his pipe down and choosing to sip the tea presented to him instead. He kept an ear open as Hitotsume and Mokugyo conversed of the likehood of Kyusō being under someone else' control—as his granddaughter had suspected. He opened his eyes again, looking up from the corner of his eyes. "What do you think, Gyuki?"

Hitotsume gasped, finally sensing Gyuki's yokai above him. He growled, mentally berating himself for not noticing any sooner.

"We'll have to wait and see," said Gyuki in his usual baritone deep but flat and emotionless tone. "Although Riku is strong as a yōkai, she is still only a yōkai for the quarter of a day."

Hitotsume rolled his eyes, talk about suck-up. He opened his mouth to make a snide comment when Nurarihyon abruptly stood.

"Lord Nurarihyon, where are you going?"

"Somewhere," the old man answered vaguely. "I have to visit someone on my own."

Hitotsume grunted, shooting a brief glare up where Gyuki's presence disappeared along with the Commander's. He stood and figured it was also time for him to leave.

On his way out, he passed by the brat Riku's room. Concealing himself with his Fear, he stood to watch as events unfold since he knew from sound that Tsurara and Riku were in the same room—and he wasn't entirely sure how things will fold out since he knew the Yuki-Onna had a crush on Riku's night form. Though he was sure that Riku wouldn't be too thrilled to hear that.

A signifying start that someday she would have to chose to live either as a human girl or a yokai man. Hitotsume would've like to tell her that no matter what form, he'd never respect her because she wasn't—and would never be—Nurarihyon whom he'd sworn loyalty to.

"Tsurara, you're early to see Riku!"

Riku cracked an eye open miserably. "Tsurara," she groaned in pain, her throat raw from the coughs and she had a rather sore throat. "Medicine..."

"Right!" Instantly, the Yuki-Onna was by her side, pouring a teaspoon and spooning it to her mouth.

Shima's jaw dropped. "She... she swung that way? Both of them are like that?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kana said, elbowing Shima in the ribs hardly. Though she had to admit she herself was jealoud; Riku, her best friend, was so distant these days, spending most of the time with Tsurara and that other big guy. She knew Riku had been sort of unreachable after Uncle Rihan's death, she just never expected it to be this big of a gap in their friendship.

"Anyway," Kiyotsugu said, stopping the chatters from the group of humans. "I have big news, everyone! We are going on a field trip this weekend to meet a yokai expert I had been in touch with. I had also reserved rooms in the inn! What do you say?"

"You would've forced us to go anyway, why did you even bother asking?" Kana muttered to herself as the rest of the group agreed to go.

Kiyotsugu turned on Riku sharply just before they were leave. "Oh, and you better get well soon."

"I'll try," Riku responded before sneezing.

"Wait!" Tsurara yelled, reaching out a hand to stop them. Shima was the first to whirl around and pay her his full undivided attention. "Uh... can I come too? I really like yokais and—"

"Of course you can come, Miss Oikawa!" Kiyotsugu interrupted her, clasping her hands in his, earning him glares from Riku and Shima but were ignored. "The more the merrier, I say!"

"You're forgetting something," Maki said, glaring at Kiyotsugu. "Where's the place we're supposed to go?"

"Umerakuen!"

The eavesdropping Hitotsume's eyebrows rose at the name. Barking back his laughter, he departed with a smirk etched on his face.

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Nurarihyon's legs kicked in the air as he swung himself on the swing. The rusty creak of the swings made him wonder how durable it was before he remembered on a family trip, Riku had fell from the very same set of swings—why had no one replace it was a mystery to him, really. He stopped swinging for a moment as the thoughts of his family brought back memories of recent events and how he'd come to a sight of Riku passed out on ground after the battle.

"Karasu Tengu," he called after a moment of contemplation. Just as he'd expected, his loyal attendant—who'd been with him from the very beginning—appeared in a brief gust of wind, kneeling with all the respect he'd always given his commander. "Check if there's anyone in the Nura Clan who had been in contact with Kyuso."

The crow yokai's wings flapped uncertainly. "Of course, M'lord. I shall dispatch my stupid sons, the Sanba Garasu, to investigate." Without waiting for a dismissal, the yokai flapped his wings once and was gone into the air.

Nurarihyon sat alone in the small park, silently contemplating was the traitor taking the form of a demon or a snake. Before he can come to a conclusion, his stomach growled loudly. Right, it was snack time. Maybe this time when he steal some food, he could steal some for_ him_ too.

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Once, Kana Ieanaga wouldn't have bothered much about yokai or even dare to think that they existed and not all of them were bad that hated and would terrorized humans. But now things had changed. She had changed; from a girl who cared more about her books than her looks to someone who wanted the guy she had a crush on to notice her.

But it was a foolish and ridiculous wish because the person she was—might possible be—in love with was a yokai and she doubted yokais ever mated with humans. She shook her head, her cheeks flushing at the thought of the yokai again. She switched her thoughts to someone else, something other than that day and she came upon the memory of Tsurara and Riku again.

Kana wasn't much of a jealous or possessive person—and what's more, Riku wasn't a possession. But she felt strangely zealous at the two's closeness. It was to be expected; for Tsurara was an outsider, a new stranger Riku just met and was suddenly close now. She had been Riku's friend since toddlehood and now she felt left out, as if her friend had just ditched her. She couldn't say anything to the matter however because she had no right to determine who Riku can or cannot make friends with.

Kana was drawn from her reverie when her phone rang. She stretched out a hand, snatching the phone from its place on the desk and flipping it on to see who had called. She blinked, talk about the devil... just as she thought of Riku, said girl called her.

She pressed the green button, connecting them. "Hello? Riku, are you feeling better now?"

"Ah, yes I am, thanks for asking." Pause. "Um, Kana, what would a normal girl usually pack on a field trip?"

"You've never been on a trip before?" That sounded pitiful even to her ears. Kana couldn't imagine Riku's parents being too overprotective since Rihan and Wakana seemed so carefree and easy-going.

"No... I – I don't remember... strange... but anyway, the list?"

"Right," Kana turned to the nearly packed bag by her side. "Well... let's start with..." As she listed the things girls usually needed to bring, she was totally unaware of her best friend looking at Tsurara with a dumb-founded expression as the latter packed packs of ice into her travelling pack.

And to Riku's terrible luck (for that week though it seemed to be worsening as days fly by), Tsurara chose that moment to look up at her. Tilting her head to the side curiously, she asked, "Who are you talking to, M'lady?"

That, Kana heard despite the loud noise from the background. "Is that... Tsurara?"

"Wha – um, no. Just one of the kid servants – and oh, look at the time! I really need to pack. Thanks a lot, by the way, Kana. See you tomorrow!"

The resounding click! ended their call.

Sighing she placed her phone by the desk and decided she might as well rest up so she wouldn't be too sleep deprived the next day.

On the other side of town, Riku had also just hung up, placing her phone by her side and turning to see Yuki-Onna holding her pack up with a dejected look on her face when she'd noticed that all the ice she'd placed in there had melted.

Sighing, Riku held up the notebook she'd jotted down the things needed to bring.

"My, what a mess you've made, Tsurara," Wakana giggled seeing the puddle of cold water, easily side-stepping and coming to her daughter's side. She pushed a stray bang from her daughter's face, staring curiously at the bags and the items of necessity surrounding both females. "Where are you two going?"

"On a field trip to Umerakuen!" Tsurara said cheerfully, though her cheeks tinted pink at the reminder that Rikuo would be there as well.

"Have you ever heard of that place, Mom?"

Wakana pursed her lips, racking her brains to remember. "Hm... no, sorry." But as her gaze turned back to her daughter, she realized that the younger girl was no longer looking at her. She felt slightly wistful, recalling the days where her daughter would always vie for her attention. But that was back when she'd had someone else rivaling her for her mother's affections.

"Riku, listen—"

"Oh no, I've forgotten some of the toiletries. I'll go get it!" Riku sprang to her feet, turning on her heel and making a swift dash out of the parlor, leaving Wakana in the dust, the words she'd meant to say stuck in her throat.

"Is there something you wanted to tell M'lady? Maybe I can relay it for you?" Tsurara blinked at her, her tone and expression earnest in her help.

Wakana smiled weakly. "No, it's okay."

All the courage she'd been gathering up to tell the truth had all but evaporated into thin air.

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Stepping out of the train, just after winning her twentieth round of yokai poker, Riku breathed in the fresh air as she stretched her sore muscles, arching her back like a cat and nearly purring like one. She took in the view hungrily, smiling at the beauty of nature that yokais were commonly associated with. Her good impressions on the place were dashed by Kiyotsugu announcing that they still had miles to walk before reaching their destination.

While yokais—even with some human blood—had better stamina than normal humans, Riku was more human and she was physically weak. Her stamina at best was still worse than her friends. Just as she contemplated yelling out in defeat, Yura pointed out something in the distance and the Nura nearly cried out in joy when they finally reached the stupid-Umewakamaru Shrine.

"All right! Good job, Yura! Now all we need to do is wait for that professor." Kiyotsugu cheered enthusiastically, not at all fatiqued.

Yura glanced around, only slightly winded courtesy of her omnyōji training. She sensed no yōkai presence but she knew of many powerful yōkais capable of hiding their presence completely. It was best she be on guard because it was her job as an omnyōji to protect the humans and to top it all off, they were her friends. She wouldn't let anyone of them get hurt.

Riku, after regaining her breath though she didn't remove her person from the rock she's sitting on, glanced around warily, she felt some omnious presence. She exchanged a brief glance with Tsurara, something which didn't go past Shima and Kana unnoticed. She glanced around again, slumping back into her seat but she nearly jumped ten feet into the air when a silhouette appeared before.

Yura drew out her shikigamis faster than the eye can blink but before she can actually hurl it to the shadowed creature, Kiyotsugu stepped forward with a friendly grin on his face. "Professor Adashibara! Nice to meet you, I'm the guy that was in contact with you and you'd—"

"Ah, yes, I do remember which is why I'm here today even though it's supposed to be my day-off," the professor said flatly, adjusting his glasses and assessing the group of trespassing humans. His gaze lingered particularly longer on Riku, Yura and Tsurara though no one noticed, too caught up in their own thoughts and whatever they chose to concentrate on. "Well, then, shall we move on?"

"Yes!" Kiyotsugu cheered. "Come on, guys, move it!"

Saki and Torii groaned loudly, in unison—they acted so similarly that sometimes Riku thought that they were twins separated from birth, she'd seen enough drama movies to believe it possible. Personally, Riku wanted to moan, groan and complain but she was supposed to be descended from the famed Nurarihyon and Nura Rihan for crying out loud, she couldn't possibly be this weak!

Wheezing, Riku was ready to pass out on the stairs when the professor stopped suddenly at a landing, causing the whole group to stop. She gasped for breath, unlike the others who gasped in horror at what they're seeing. Lazily, she raised her amber eyes only for it to widen she saw what the others did. A large claw which definitely did not belong to any sort of animal or mutant; proof that yōkais existed, the professor said before carrying on.

They reached a place the professor labeled as Umewakamaru's resting place.

Riku stumbled, nearly tripping but Yura caught her hand before she did. The former smiled at the latter for helping but as the professor's story turned more gruesome, neither found it in themselves to let go of the other.

Riku frowned, starting to forget Yura's hand in her own as the story told progressed.

This place, she realized, was under Nura's jurisdiction. All along, the professor had been referring to Gyuki. All of Umewakamaru's—who was once Gyuki—cruel action made her wonder how could Gyuki possibly change from a cold-blooded murderer to a father figure.

A cold stone bearing dread settled itself in her stomach, not removing itself. Suddenly, she wished the hand she was holding to was Rikuo's.

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"Oh, Karasu-Tengu," Nurarihyon grinned at his long-time attendant, completely ignoring the signs of distress and panic. "Join me for some tea?"

Karasu-Tengu looked ready to refuse but Wakana's smiling face made it impossible. He settled himself down beside the Supreme Commander and grabbed his cup of tea. Blowing on it gently before sipping it.

"By the way, Wakana, where did Riku and her friends went to?"

Wakana hummed softly as she folded the last piece of clothing and placed it on a stack full of completed clothes. "I don't know the place well but Riku said that they're going to Umerakuen."

A fountain of green tea spewed out of Karasu-Tengu's mouth and Nurarihyon almost thought he saw a ray of rainbow there. "What!" the crow yokai had stood up suddenly, upturning his cup of tea doing so. Wakana and Nurarihyon stared at him as if he's lost it. Karasu-Tengu would've felt insulted had it not be in this situation. "Supreme Commander! Do you know even know the situation? Ugh!"

He gave it up as a lost cause and started running back the way he'd come from. "Oi—my stupid sons!"

Wakana stared after the small crow yokai as he made a turn down another hallway and disappeared from sight. "Did he forget he can fly?"

Nurarihyon chuckled but he gazed somewhat sadly down at his green tea, noting how old he looked in the reflection. Once, he'd been a beautiful, youthful and handsome yokai... but now... he wondered whether or not could he return to the state he'd once been in. Thinking about the old days...

"Of them all, I'd never thought he'd be the one to do it."

Wakana looked at her father-in-law in puzzlement, realization dawning on her face. "Oh, isn't Umerakuen once known as Mount Nejireme? Gyuki lives there doesn't he?" she smiled softly at the thought of the powerful yokai. So strong and terrifying in the front but was in truth a softie—she'd lost count how many time he'd helped her carry things far too heavy for her human strength, how he'd comforted her when her husband and lover died, how he'd always been a pillar of support and a father figure in place of Rihan for Riku.

"I hope they get along well." She remarked cheerfully.

"Yeah," said Nurarihyon flatly; wondering how much he could tolerate if something truly happened to Riku. "I hope they will be happy to see one another."

Hitotsume who had been eavesdropping—he seemed to be doing that all along these days—smirked, pouring himself sake, sipping on it contentedly. He was going to enjoy the show; this was like killing two birds with one stone. Hah. He could eliminate both Gyuki and that weakling Riku—leaving them to kill one another.

Unlike many others who didn't think much of Riku's prowess in battle, he was an experienced fighter himself, and had seen many swordsman in his life. Riku walked like one whom had carried a sword since birth, and he'd caught her in the dojo sometime after the Kyuso shit, she'd been capable of going through the katas without much trouble other than the fact she seemed uncoordinated. Coupled with her yokai's powers, Hitotsume was pretty sure she can hold a candle to Gyuki's ability—at least, enough to make him die bleeding.

He chuckled maliciously. He loved being the spectator.

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A/N

1/ This was more like an interlude. Can anyone guess who's the lady in the first part? And had anyone noticed the hints I've been dropping all around in this chapter? Tell me what you've deduced (and you might, might just get a spoiler if you want to!)

2/ I'm planning on making a Natsume Yuu-jinchou and Nurarihyon no Mago crossover. The pairings being Rikuo/Fem!Natsume or maybe the other way around where Rikuo's the lady. Or maybe shounen-ai?

Review!


	5. V

**Sarishinohara**

__"Distant Fields"__

~x~

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Chapter Five: Beloved Clan.

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Tsurara glanced around rapidly, worried of what might be lurking in the shadows and the dawning darkness that seemed to wrap around the group of four—consisting of one yokai, two humans and a quarter yokai—like a stifling blanket. She was alone, without Aotabo whom had always been her partner in battle, and she felt awkward and horribly outnumbered even though they hadn't met any enemies yet.

Most of all, she felt what she shouldn't be feeling, fear.

Not for their enemies of course, but the fact that she might fail to protect Riku. If Riku was hurt... so would Rikuo and she absolutely couldn't let that happen.

The Yuki-Onna's head jerked up in alarm when she heard bushes rustling to her left. She yelped, her arms out to push Riku away from what might be danger.

"Kyah!"

"Oh," Tsurara sighed, laughing nervously. "It's just a rabbit. It's okay, Riku-sama... eh?" She turned, noticing Kiyotsugu and Shima gawking down below there. Some sort of cave Kiyotsugu believed to have some divine yokai lurking in there. There wasn't of course, or she'd have felt it earlier. "Where's Riku?"

"I didn't know she was so eager..." Kiyotsugu scratched the side of his head. "Oy, Nura-kun, are you hurt?"

From below them, Riku grunted, sptting dirt out of her mouth. "Yeah," she called back. "I'm okay but can someone help me down?"

Hidden behind the boulders, shrouded by the darkness, Gozumaru _tsk_ed, disgusted at Nurarihyon's granddaughter's weakness.

"That's Nurarihyon's granddaughter?" the young Gyuki heir murmured in disbelief. "All she has is a pretty face. Completely useless."

Abruptly, Riku's head turned in his direction; her amber eyes seemed to glow like the hated sun, looking vivid on her pale complexion and illuminating her pretty cute face more. Gozumaru stiffened, taking a step back, unable to believe he'd thought of her such a way and that his cover had nearly been blown.

"Riku-chan, is something wrong?" one of the human boys' called out.

"Secure the rope tightly and I'll be fine!" The girl snapped back, sounding quite irritated which surprised Gozumaru a little because from what he'd gathered, she was sweet-natured.

Nevertheless, he continued to observe her and her little group of friends as they continued walking around. His eyes drifted to the Yuki-Onna who was the young mistress' attendant and bodyguard for a moment before his gaze turned back to the young princess of Nura.

Riku Nura had a bad choice in choosing her bodyguards, Gozumaru thought distastefully when the Yuk-Onna—who had fallen back to guard Riku's back and most likely prevent an ambush—shrieked in terror, yelling about traps and for them to run. Gozumaru looked down in pity at Riku who stared at her attendant in a deadpanned manner. The spider web had merely been something Gozumaru kicked down in an attempt to scare Riku (to see how she'd react) but instead of her, her bodyguard reacted the way he wanted Riku to.

He sighed, slightly disappointed.

He followed the group, watching in silent satisfaction as the dark started to descend, blinding them almost completely.

"I'm worried about them," Gozumaru heard Riku say as she gestured towards the two boys before the girls. "Something's going to happen and I really don't want to see my friends hurt."

The yokai of the Gyuki clan snorted. "Instead of worrying about them," he murmured as he held up his forefinger to his forehead, smirking. "Why don't you worry about yourself, princess?" But of course she couldn't hear him, that didn't matter; the one who needed to his voice as he chanted the spell was the two weak human boys.

As he'd expected, both boys fell under the trance easily, separating and leaving the girls at a loss of what to do. No, Riku had already decided to place the boys' safety before hers, evidently shown when she ordered her bodyguard to protect the blonde boy while she went after the black-haired one.

Gozumaru's expectations of the Yuki-Onna dropped further when he saw the ice yokai petrified on the spot, unable to decide between obeying her master or protecting her.

Grunting in disgust, he drew his sword and lunged at her, deciding to take her down before he kill the Nura princess. He blinked once, in surprise when he found his sword missing of his prey and was instead, layered in a rather thin sheen of ice.

He turned to the Yuki-Onna with an arched eyebrow. "Tis' the best you can do?"

"You are of the Gyuki Clan," the Yuki-Onna remarked, ringed golden eyes, different from the ice blue from her human form, narrowing. "What are you doing? Are you not aware of who am I?"

Gozumaru rolled his eyes. "Shut up, lady."

"—am Tsurara of the main house, attendant and bodyguard of Riku Nura, our heiress. Cease your attack immediately—Urk!"

The Yuki-Onna, Tsurara, hissed in pain, glancing down at where her sandaled feet bled with ice cold blood from where Gozumaru had stabbed her—and he still hadn't removed his sword. He leaned in, uncomfortably close, invading her personal space.

He sneered, his breath fanning her face. "I said shut up, didn't I?" he laughed rather crazily, in Tsurara's opinion. "Shut up. You don't know how long we've been planning this. How long Gyuki-sama had waited! It's not really something that I like doing anyway, since rebelling against the main house isn't exactly something that I fashion doing... But I had pledged my loyalty to Gyuuki-sama, and if this is his wish, then I shall carry it out!""

Her breath hitched. "You... the Gyuki Clan had been planning on turning its back on the main house?" she snarled, protective of her home. "Treason!"

Gozumaru laughed. "And your blood shall be the first amongst those to spill!" He withdrew his sword and in the split second he wanted to strike again, Tsurara jumped back and breathed out a blizzard of cursed ice. To her horror, the male yokai easily blocked it.

Laughing, he approached her again, his katana easily pushing against the ice blizzard to reach her and his next strike landed on her abdomen. Would've severed her in half had she not reacted fast enough and jumped back. But it still hurt, she cursed, biting back the blood that had reached her mouth. She was unable to hold it back though, as her back impacted with a tree from the sheer force of his strike.

Blood splattered the ground.

"The end, Yuki-Onna!"

Gozumaru lunged and Tsurara squeezed her eyes shut, unable to believe that she'd been unable to protect Riku. She totally failed at her job, she deserved to die! Just as she was preparing herself for the deathblow, a loud clang resounded through the area and the sound of a katana stabbing the ground met her ears.

Weakly, she opened her eyes and she nearly cried in relief when she saw the amber eyes staring down at her. "R-Riku sama," she breathed weakly, wheezing slightly.

Her mistress smiled gently down at her, katana drawn and in a ready stance. "Rest now, Tsurara. I'll handle things here."

Gozumaru raised a brow. "Oh?" he gestured towards the still visible sun—in this part of the woods—then back at the still human girl. "What, pray tell, can you do when the sun's still in the sky?"

"It's setting."

"So you think you can hold out long enough for it to set?" Gozumaru rolled his eyes. "You're weak. But what was even worse, you've chosen even weaker attendants! It goes against my code of honor but I have to do it, to fulfill Gyuki-sama's wish. No hard feelings, hm?"

Riku didn't answer, her eyes flitted with mild surprise before she settled herself in a stance, indicating that she would be striking him first. And that, she did.

They traded blows for a moment, testing the waters and Gozumaru has to say he was pleasantly surprised. Riku can hold her own against him, possessing strength no human should have and he wondered who she could have such power as a human and the sun hadn't set yet!

He mustered a taunting smirk. "What's wrong, princess? That's the best you can do?" He brought his sword down in a slicing arc and Riku dodged it, a tree taking her place as his victim.

Riku assessed him warily but she no longer seemed aggressive. Gozumaru was growing more and more frustrated when she started dodging his blows and made no attempt to strike or counter him. He growled. "You underestimating me?" Claws stretched and tore through his yukata to show itself. "I'll show you the true strength of the Gyuki Clan!"

The Nura Princess' eyes widened momentarily in surprise as she found herself pinned by Gozu's claws. "What?" she choked as the claws started to dig painfully into her tender human flesh.

Gozumaru laughed at her show of weakness. She struggled against his hold but it only served to make it more painful. Pathetic.

"Waka!"

Gozumaru scowled heavily—why did people found it fun to interrupt him when he was enjoying his kill?—and without so much as a thought, batted Yuki-Onna away with two of his claws. "Tsk, the weak ones should stay dead."

Riku snarled as Tsurara cried out in pain as her back made contact with the hard ground. With a grunt and adrenaline pumping through her veins, she wrenched herself painfully away from Gozu's claws, which took the left part of her shirt off.

What was left of her sweater revealed quite a lot of skin. Not that Gozu paid any mind to it, completely didn't see it at all.

Riku didn't seem to care about her revealing state, darting towards her attendant instead which spurred Gozu into action. He lunged, his claws stretching to grab the princess again. He missed but just barely; he smirked, the girl was tiring, she'd put up a good fight and he commended her on that but it was time for her to give up.

She deflected his katana and he growled, two more claws growing to hasten his quest in killing the Nura princess. One of his claws tore off her sweater and top completely; she flinched, growing more uncomfortable with her nudity because there was only her bra left covering her body.

Her lack of concentration cost her; she gasped as her katana flew from her hands.

"_Sayonara_, Riku Nura!"

Gozumaru raised his sword for the final strike and he saw her golden eyes widen in horror; she took a step back and as his sword fell down in a graceful swipe, she melted into wisps of black smoke, disappearing completely from view.

His eyes widened. "How—Gah!" Blood dribbled down his chin as pain blossomed behind his back. He craned his neck, vision already clouding from the pain. He'd expected to see a pretty girl staring down at him; not a boy with a head of spiky black-white hair and red-gold eyes, Riku's katana resting comfortably on his shoulder.

"Impossible," he coughed blood, feeling more pooling on his back.

"Believe what you will," the boy replied coolly, turning his back and walking towards a blushing Tsurara. "But the evil blood of the Supreme Commander flows through me."

Gozumaru failed terribly; he gritted his teeth, sincerely hoping Mezumaru didn't.

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Despite Gozu's best wishes, Mezumaru wasn't faring as well as his comrade had hoped.

Mezumaru gritted his teeth, glowering at the pretty omnyōji in a pink bathrobe. If someone had bothered to inform him that a shikigami-user usually meant an omnyōji, he would have been more prepared and he wouldn't be getting his ass kicked like this.

Talk about humiliating, he growled as another one of his minion fell, at a lost of what to do because Mezu usually planned everything and he wasn't here now. His friend didn't even bother to come up with a back-up plan, so full of himself and Gyuki's plan.

And now... Mezumaru let out a yell of surprise when the yokai minion he was riding on flew backwards and over the trees, defeated. Gulping, he turned to see the omnyōji's shikigami looming over him, ready to sent him flying upon the dark-haired girl's orders.

Just as she opened her mouth to give such a comment, something impacted against the water right where Mezu was. Said yokai yelled out in surprise when he found his world upside-down; he saw the omnyōji's face easily though and he registered the shock on her face to be rather cute.

He didn't have time to marvel at that face the next moment, he was suddenly shoved into the water, cutting of his air supply. He estimated that he'd swallow a mouthful of water before whoever was holding him pulled him back up; this time, much more subdued than before. He craned his neck and snarled.

"Hey! What's that for!" Mezu yelled, shaking his fist much like a child though no one told him that.

The female crow yokai—the only girl among the group of rather familiar yokais—looked down at him coldly, eyes narrowing. "Child, you better watch your tongue. Are you not aware of the Karasu-Tengu Clan?"

Mezu spluttered; the main house knew about Gyuki-sama's ploy already?! "Shit." He cussed, followed by many more inappropriate words that would have Gyuki balking and washing his mouth out with soap. "Damn. What a failure."

"Guys, the princess isn't here," the blonde with green highlights in his hair remarked, sounding slightly disappointed yet relieved.

The black-haired black-eyed yokai who seemed to have the aura of a leader glanced around, confirming with his own eyes that the person he was looking for wasn't here. He glanced down briefly at the Gyuki member. "A yokai who attacks women's bath? Dishonorable."

Mezumaru blushed. "No! The humans were here!"

"Hey, yokais!" All of said race raised their heads to face the heated glare of an omnyōji. Yura glowered at them. "What are you all here for?"

"We'll call a truce for now," the female crow yokai said coolly. "We are not here to cause destruction. Rather, we are here to find our lost mistress. Fare thee well."

Spreading her wings along with her companions, the crow yokais took off into the air. The Keikain stared after them until the skull-masked yokai's yells diminished into the distance. He looked rather hilarious and—she'd be hating herself for even thinking that he was—cute. Her cheeks felt hot but she shook her head, sending wet strands of her hair flying along with water droplets.

"Kyaa!"

The omnyōji turned, her hand already reaching for her shikigami. She blinked in surprise when she saw the large yokai who was exuding a powerful aura. He looked panicked though, not at all like a yokai who'd eat humans. But Yura had learned from a young age to not judge a book by its cover; she readied her shikigami and the yokai's eyes widened.

He dumped something onto the ground and fled, yelling for his mistress.

Yura blinked rapidly, was she really that terrifying?

"Kiyotsugu! Shima!" Yura looked down at what the yokai had deposited on the ground. Saori snapped out of her shock and approached Kiyotsugu first, slapping him gently on the face, calling his name and urging him to wake up.

When Kiyotsugu groaned and make some snide remark about the blonde's chest, Yura knew the boys were okay. She returned her gaze to the horizon and the already dark sky as a thought crossed her mind and puzzled her greatly.

What did they mean by mistress? The yokais seemed to be searching for the same person, same mistress. Yet... didn't the large yokai who brought them their lost friends served the Nurarihyon guy? What was he doing searching for a mistress instead of a master?

The most important question lingered: who was the mistress of these yokais?

Her mind whirling and creaking like a well-oiled machine, she started to think.

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Rikuo glanced around, his crimson orbs reflecting the flash of lightning before he turned his gaze back to the concrete stairs and started descending them again; he heard Kana's heartbeat, her fear and her sobs and her pleas for help. He was never one to leave a girl behind when they're in need of help.

His blue fire lit the path. Adjusting Tsurara in his arms, he descended the stairs faster till Kana could hear his approach.

The human girl looked up and Rikuo took his time assessing her face. He'd seen her from the Kyuso incident but only from afar and he'd only glanced quickly to make sure she and Yura were okay; he didn't notice until now how cute she was.

He smirked at her rising blush, knowing the effect he had on her. He advanced but in her terror and knowledge that he was still a yokai no matter how many times he'd save her, she took a step backwards and nearly tumbled down the stairs. She inhaled shakily, finally glancing up and meeting his gaze.

"Do me a favor," said Rikuo sweetly, the smirk on his face never faltering. "Take care of her for me will you?"

Kana started when she saw Tsurara in the yokai's arms, seeming to be severely injured. She swallowed down the jealousy mingled with concern and nodded, accepting the girl's burden from the boy. She looked up at him questioningly but he merely smiled sadly.

He brought his hand to his mouth and blew gently. Kana inhaled and thought she smelled sakura from the breath he'd exhaled. Following the breath which morphed into a gentle breeze, the blue fires illuminating his way formed torches down the path she'd came from.

"Go," the silver-haired yokai said softly. "The fires will lead you back to the inn. It is too late for a human to be wandering about anyway."

He left and in panic, Kana called out. "Will I see you again?"

He craned his neck slightly to look her in the eyes, smiling softly. "Of course." And he was gone, disappearing into black mist and melding into the shadows.

Kana really wanted to obey him and go back to the inn, but in the wake of his departure, white and ghostly mist swirled around her and all she could think of was sleep.

And slumber she did, her dreams full of silver-haired red-eyed boys.

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Rikuo could walk faster now, without the burden of Tsurara's weight—as much as he loved her, she really should cut down some—hindering him, his pace would've jostled her greatly from her peaceful slumber had he been rushing.

His crimson eyes turned calculating and wary when Gyuki's mansion came into view. His lips curled in distaste as he recalled what Gozumaru had nearly succeeded in doing: kill Riku. He hadn't succeed because Riku had fared so much better than anyone had thought she could and he'd arrive just in time to finish the yokai off. He was so proud of her but Riku hadn't escaped unscathed.

He seethed as he silently slipped in, his body shimmering elusively as he slipped into his Fear's blanket of power.

"Gyuki..." he murmured, pushing the door open. He squinted but he didn't need to because lightning flashed, illuminating the place for a moment long enough for Rikuo to see where his target was. "What are you thinking, Gyuki?"

Gyuki raised his head but didn't turn to face Rikuo. "I've heard from my spies... from the rats. But looking at it with my own eyes make things for surreal. It's been a long time... Rikuo... is that still your name?"

"They may not remember me consciously but somewhere down there, I'm still there." Was Rikuo's cryptic reply but internally he was fluttering slightly with worry; what if Gyuki told everyone? How would they treat Riku then? As much as he wanted things to be like then... he couldn't, he'd chosen this path on his own, how could he drag Riku down with him now?

"Whatever it may be, I still will have to purge you for hurting her, I mean, um, me." Rikuo winced, realizing that he was a terrible liar; Riku could lie so well though... for all her sweet smiles, she was as cunning as Nurarihyon at times.

Gyuki rose to his feet; the lightning quick flash of silver the only indication that he'd even drawn his sword. Rikuo cursed as blood splattered onto the floor. He hissed at the pain blossoming from the cut taken by his chest and raised Nenekimaru to deflect Gyuki's next blow.

"You fight well for a quarter yokai," Gyuki remarked as he and the Nurarihyon traded blows back and forth. "I was once human. I know the struggle you felt, Riku, for being a powerless human aware of yokais' existence. But there's the pitiful and painful reality: humans will never be able to stand up to yokais! So just give up!"

Rikuo grunted, jumping back when Gyuki sliced at him. "Why are you so concerned about me, Gyuki? What are your true motives? I will be the Third Heir—is the thought of a more human than yokai girl leading you so painful and disgusting to bear?"

Gyuki's eyes widened momentarily because for one moment, he thought he saw a girl standing before him instead of Rikuo.

"You deny the existence of yourself, how could I let someone like you lead the Nura Clan?"

Neither Rikuo nor Riku (who was eavesdropping through Rikuo's ears) understood who it was for. Unable to answer, Rikuo answered for Riku as both men struggled to win one another in a battle of strength. Rikuo's arm strained to hold his own and when he slashed rapidly, it was to Gyuki's credit that he managed to dodge it all.

But not all, Rikuo realized with a smirk, watching as Gyuki swiped a gash of blood from his cheek.

"I will become the Third Heir," he promised firmly, softly. Not arguing or yelling out his opinion but was merely stating a fact.

Rikuo lunged; Gyuki froze for a moment because in that one second his opponent moved, he thought he saw him. Nurarihyon, in his younger years, a grin on his face as he took on a powerful opponent. Too late, he realized he'd been caught up in his memories to remind himself what he had been fighting for. Sakura petals filled his vision and he thought he saw Yohime—who had been the one to waylay Nurarihyon from his golden age, all his glory down the drain for this one woman—and Riku who took the Second Supreme Commander away and now Rikuo—

Red filled his vision, he lunged the same time Rikuo did.

A crescent shaped gash bleed profusely and Gyuki crumpled to the ground, breathing hard.

"I see. You really do have youkai blood in you after all." Gyuuki choked out. "This is as it should be."

Rikuo stared down at him coldly, a cruel and terrible smile of amusement on his face.

Gyuki gritted his teeth, mustering the strength to speak despite the aching pain in his chest—figuratively and metaphorically—and a part of him praised whoever created Nenekimaru to be such effective against yokais. Perhaps... humanity still has hope.

He inhaled sharply. "I know my clan will be destroyed in due time. But I could never, would never forgive anyone who wishes to destroy my beloved Nura Clan..." Gyuki's intense gaze settled on Rikuo who seemed to be still smiling. "... not even if the person is you."

Rikuo was still smiling that cold and cruel smile, flicking his sword off Gyuki's blood.

Before he could say anything, the doors to Gyuki's burst open and in poured in the Sanba Garasu. Gyuki closed his eyes, chuckling, knowing that his time had come. The three bird yokais, of course, were horrified of Gyuki's assault on Rikuo and lunged at him, their spears aimed for his chest.

A pale hand outstretched stopped their advance.

Gyuki glanced up into steely amber gold eyes and was reminded of Rihan.

The only thing that ruined the perfect illusion was the cold eyes, Rihan would never stare down at him like that, with loathing and only the thought of painful kill.

"I do not regret my actions, I see it as just for me to test the strength of the Third Heir." Gyuki murmured, breathing harshly yet somehow managing to have his voice echo around the empty and trashed room. "And you surpassed remarkably, Grandchild of Nurarihyon; your skills and wills surpassed even mine. Good, it's very good..." the fearsome yokai smiled wanly. "I wanted to be certain that the Nura Clan would be in safe hands once I'm gone."

"What?" The eyes of everyone in the room widened.

"This is my decision. Goodbye... my beloved clan..."

"No!" the cacophony of screams were like music to his ears as he brought his sword down to his abdomen, his sword aimed to strike a deadly vital point.

She surged forwards with speed no one knew she had. Nenekimaru sliced down in an arc and the next thing Gyuki knew, his sword—forged of the hardest steel and greatest swordsmith in the world—flew from his hands, sliced apart and Nenekimaru remained intact, still glistening with pride in her wielder's hands.

"Why did you stop me, Riku?" he questioned. "As the one who plotted against the Nura main house and future Third, and is guilty of high treason, I must take responsibility. Why didn't you let me die? How would I face Gozumaru and Mezumaru afterwards?"

Riku squinted at him as if he was an idiot. "I knew, I had assumed all along. I can tell from your face that you planned to kill yourself either way, regardless of the battle's outcome. You're crazy," she shook her head, a smile still playing on her lips. "You shouldn't kill yourself over such a trivial issue. Gozu and Mezu would be so sad because they love you so much."

The way way she said it reminded him that Gozu and Mezu didn't have parents either. He'd taken them into his clan because he was reminded of his childhood days without a father or a mother. He couldn't give them a mother but a father that he could manage.

He blinked, suddenly concerned of how they are if the assault failed.

Riku smirked in the lazy way that reminded him of Rihan and Nurarihyon even if she is in her human form. She shook her head still smiling, ignoring the Sanba Garasu's cried of how serious the matter is and how she's not giving a damn. It reminded him of Nurarihyon's time, before he met Yohime and their whole world of journeying through the night like a group of nomads changed to be one of family.

"I won't kill you," declared Riku firmly as she turned to leave. "You can ask my yokai form for his opinion and if you don't like what he says, feel free to kill him."

She tilted her head, basking in the warmth of sunlight spilling in through the splintered roof. Then she opened her eyes and smiled, once more.

Gyuki blinked in a daze as the Sanba Garasu slid their arms under him and hoisted him up to his feet; Riku's amber eyes only looked cruel and cold because of the moonlight shining things the wrong way. Since when were Riku's eyes cruel when she was always so sweet?

"Let's leave those depressing things at the boring meetings back at the main house," grinned Riku, spreading her arms wide as if to call Gyuki into her embrace. "For now, let's go home."

Gyuki heard the unspoken words and it spurred his legs into moving, wanting what was unsaid by her.

_Let's go back to our beloved clan. Everyone's waiting._

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AN

I hope this arc is not too disappointing – I'm sorry if it is. By the way, had anyone noticed the hints I dropped in this chapter? Can anyone guess it all out and tell me your theories?

Review!


	6. VI

**Sarishinohara**

_"Distant Fields"_

~x~

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Chapter Six: Happy Birthday.

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Tsurara fluttered about in worry, not concerned at the still aching wound on her abdomen though the pain had dimmed a whole lot more than when she'd first received it. However, her injury wasn't on her mind currently. Her ringed eyes darted around wildly as she paced the floorboard, muttering to herself.

"Oi, Yuki-Onna," The ice yokai ignored the call until someone smacked her upside the head.

"Ow!" Tsurara protested, snapping out of her trance and rubbing her head, feeling a slight bump there but she knew it'd go away soon enough. "What was that for?" she pouted at Zen's agitated form.

"You're ignoring me, and by extent, us," the bird yokai glared at her—it seemed to be his favorite thing to do—crossing his arms. "You're irritating with your pacing and you'll be wearing a rut in the floor if you continue doing so. What's wrong with you?"

Despite his rough tone, Tsurara felt touched. Zen was always like this, rough and brash but so much soft underneath that mask. "How can you guys be so relaxed?" she moaned, throwing the gathered yokai an exasperated look. "Aren't you worried that Riku-sama will botch at today's General Meeting? What if—"

"Oh please, she wouldn't."

Nura's main house's yokais all whirled around to face the two arrivals. Kubinashi narrowed his eyes distastefully. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hostage exchange, or something of the sort," Mezumaru answered nonchalantly, shrugging with his arms crossed behind his head, seeming to be at all concerned about his predicament. Kurotabo wondered did he realize the severity of the situation or not but then again, Mezu is still about twelve or so, not yet at age. The black monk could still recall how Mezu, Gozu and Riku banded together could wreck such havoc. Kuro frowned, strange, he was sure there had been another child with them. He shrugged it off, maybe it was Kana-chan or Natto-Kozo and his friends.

"Really?" Kejoro smiled pleasantly though there was that sharp edge to it, lurking behind that smile was a cat ready to devour the rat and the two foreign yokais knew that. "Enjoy your stay here... young masters."

Gozu grunted his assent, wondering what Kejoro had meant to say instead of 'young masters'. He snorted at her poor attempt to hide her discontent at his presence. "Come on, Mezu, let's leave these servants to do their master's bidding."

"Okay!"

"Grr," Kubinashi growled, head floating higher than usual due to his agitation. "Who did that brat think he is?"

"He is the heir to Gyuki after all, no surprise there," Zen muttered though he had hoped the child would grow up soon enough. Seriously, Gozu acted just like Rik— the bird yokai blinked, baffled, what had he been thinking about again? Before he had time to ponder longer on the thought, a loud and resounding _gong!_ echoed throughout the house, so loud that the residents must have heard it all.

Zen rose to his feet, murmuring his excuse and departing to where the General Meeting was held, representing his own clan as its head.

Tsurara exchanged glances with Aotabo and the big yokai nodded, flashing his friends the thumbs-up. "Operation sneak in the meeting; start!"

As distasteful as it was for Kurotabo to think of them thus, he and his friends were really like a bunch of rodents scurrying about. He didn't like the comparison at all. But at least scurrying about (and drawing them many suspicious looks) managed to land them in their destination. They'd followed the example of the small yokais and were now hidden with them up on the ceiling, hoping that their weight wouldn't be too much and that the board would give away their presence. Hopefully, the presence of the big shots would cover up their weaker presence.

"Aotabo," someone hissed, most likely a smaller yokai. "Stop squashing me!"

"Get lost guys, this our usual lurk!"

"Our territory!"

"Hush!" Kejoro shushed them all by slapping her hair over their mouth, throwing a brief glare before she looked down at where Riku had settled herself down beside her grandfather.

One of the clan heads, the female one that Kejoro knew was extremely fond of Riku, smiled slightly, humming in thought. "Riku-sama, finally you deigned to grace us with your presence? It has been so long. I never thought that you'd be with us, not after the last... rather disastrous meeting." She threw a brief glare at Hitotsume who rolled his eyes.

"That's a mild way of putting it," Riku chuckled; she completely ignored Hitotsume as she studied the rest of the clan heads. Nurarihyon frowned slightly, he really didn't like having to chose between his granddaughter and old friends.

"Enough with this chit-chat," Hitotsume spat, drawing everyone's—but Riku's—attention on him and the person he was jabbing his finger at. "What is _he_ doing here?"

Gyuki sipped his tea calmly, following Riku's example and ignoring Hitotsume; he opened his eyes briefly, connecting with Riku's amber ones before he closed it again, serenely.

"What do you think?" Riku muttered sarcastically but louder, she said, coolly and without a trace of emotion: "He's here representing the Gyuki Clan as its head."

"I know that you idio—ahem, I mean, after what he had done?!"

Nurarihyon and a few others threw Hitotsume dirty looks for his poor cover-up, knowing exactly what he had been trying to say. "What happens to Gyuki is beyond my control; I shall be letting my granddaughter and future Third pass the judgement. I'm planing on making Riku Third Heir you see, officially."

Hitotsume rolled his eyes, snorting. "Oh, not this again. When are you going to stop dreaming? I though you better than this, Supreme Commander, which was why I'd sworn loyalty to you."

"Why couldn't he have been the one to turn his sword on me?" Riku muttered darkly, feeling Rikuo's irritation boiling below the surface. "I could've killed him and be done with it."

Nurarihyon smoothly ignored both comments. "Riku will be the Third Supreme Commander and—"

"Supreme Commander, please," Hitotsume protested, hands waving wildly to emphasis his point. "A girl, like her, leading the clan? You got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not," Nurarihyon said seriously. "Riku, I believe, is capable of dealing with everything that comes a Commander's way."

Naturally, Hitotsume retorted and a verbal war broke out among the clan heads, the female ones being particularly vicious and looked close to dealing the male yokai a severe beating which Riku itched to join. Fortunately for Hitotsume and unfortunately to the females of the room, Nurarihyon cleared his throat and yelled loud enough to stop their arguments.

"Riku, your verdict on Gyuki's act?" Nurarihyon probed, knowing that this was the time they'd been waiting for, a test for Riku to proved her wits and will.

"Yes," Riku met each and everyone's waiting eyes, some patient and neutral while some where like Hitotsume, distastefulness in their eyes when they looked at her. She didn't mind. "As you all must have been told, Gyuki did indeed cross swords with me, injuring me and I him"—gasps and snorts broke out but Riku couldn't discern the intention of the action or who had done them—"He had also manipulated the Kyuso clan against me, they which I had dealt with swiftly."

Murmurs once again broke out among them and those who had been jealous of Gyuki's standing in Nurarihyon's eyes smirked in satisfaction, anticipating an expel for the yokai.

"However, I had investigated on the matter and I realized that he acted out of total devotion to the Nura clan," Riku continued, ignoring Hitotsume's snort and Rikuo's urge to reach out and slit his throat with Nenekimaru still hidden up her sleeve. "Thus, I judge Gyuki not guilty. Gyuki had already surrendered his heir and attendant to the main house as hostages for punishment, and as such, if he should act against the Nura clan again, they would be executed."

Hitotsume slammed a hand down on the ground in fury. "Ridiculous!" he bellowed, unable to believe Riku and Gyuki would get off so easily; his earlier assumption had all but gone down the drain before his very eyes. "It is common sense to punish someone who had committed high treason, especially against a member of the head family!"

Riku tapped her fingers against her lap patiently as she waited for Hitotsume to finish his rant. When he was done, she asked, "What do you want to do to him then?""

"Isn't it obvious? The death penalty of course!" Hitotsume barked, growling at the girl's foolish stupidity. Riku didn't bat an eyelash, not even when murmurs of agreement broke out between the clan heads. Neither paid any mind to them, a battle of wills and wits between them would not be lost and interrupted by something as petty as an offhanded remark.

"Along with Gyuki's death—as you so kindly suggested—would be the lost of our territory!" Riku spat, her ire rose to the point of boiling irritation at the other's stupidity. "The Nura clan, our clan, does not have any territory further west beyond Mount Nejireme where Gyuki resides," she stated. "That mountain is our clan's border. No matter what, the mountain must be protected. If you decide to kill Gyuki, what is going to happen to that mountain? Apart from Gyuuki, there is no one else who knew and understood the mountain like he does. He is the only one who is capable enough to protect the mountain. And if he's gone, what do you think is going to happen to Mount Nejireme?"

Riku wanted to add something more scathing but she bit her tongue lest it degraded into an insult-fest which Hitotsume would use as his ladder to climb back up into the debate.

"Are you planning on packaging and wrapping Mount Nejireme up in a box with a ribbon, and giving it to the other yokai clans to take over?" Zen sneered, sarcasm leaking into his tone.

Riku and Nurarihyon shared a satisfied and accomplished smirk. Just as they'd expected, Hitotsume was cowed. "I hereby declare Gyuki not guilty, is there any objections?" Nurarihyon looked around and nodded when no one said anything. "Gyuki, heard that? You're free to raise your head now, you've done nothing wrong."

Gyuki looked up, his version of complete adoration in his eyes for the two Nurarihyons, and nodded. "I swear to protect what you've given me."

Nurarihyon smiled. "Then Riku is now officially the Third Heir," he glanced around at the subdued yokais. "And when no other candidates rise to take the plate, by the age of fourteen, after she'd matured more, she shall be the Third Supreme Commander!"

"Yes!"

"Way to go, M'lady!"

"Hey, stop moving around, you idiot!"

"You'd make us crash!"

"Too late—wargh!"

Riku closed her eyes, face-palming and shaking her head with a fond smile playing upon her lips as her faithful attendants tumbled down from the ceiling after a loud _crack!_

She really did love her family.

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Riku loved her family and her love extended to her friends too. Which made her extremely guilty and miserable when she realized with the whole Gyuki fiasco, she'd forgotten that today was Kana's birthday. She'd apologized profusely and Kana had said she didn't mind but they all knew the human girl minded, hurt that her best friend hadn't remembered.

Kana twisted the odd and ugly looking doll in her hands, her feet automatically carrying her towards the train station where she would be heading home. She recalled the birthday wishes her friends had showered her with and thinking about her thirteenth birthday brought her back to the strange dream.

_I promise you sweetheart, I'd come when you reached your thirteenth birthday..._

Shuddering, Kana hurried her pace but soon, she was quick to tire. She felt terrified and wondered what was wrong because the time taken to reach the train station had never been this long and tiring and the sun was setting. She whimpered, then she turned when she heard someone cycling and rushing in her direction.

She screamed, taking off into a run, fear granting the energy to run further more but in the end, she hadn't managed to outrun it. The large mirror which seemed to have a pair of long legs and hands skidded to a stop before her.

"Hello there, Kana-chan," the mirror greeted with that same chilly and evil tone. "Remember me? I'm here to pick you up from seven years ago."

Terrified, Kana turned the other direction and ran as fast as she could. She knew she couldn't outrun the yokai and she also knew he was treating this as a game, letting her run ahead, letting her bear hope that she might be actually able to outrun him before he crushed it by capturing her and finally killing her—Kana knew this with such frightening clarity and certainty that her fear escalated.

Screaming for she'd missteped, she tumbled down a flight of stairs. Kana expected to feel pain but a sucking motion tore her into a mirror and she tumbled, butt-first onto a new flight of stairs. No, the stairs were familiar. Kana gasped as she realized that she'd return to the school but how?

She didn't have time to ponder because from the stairwell mirror, she caught the yokai's laughing face. She took off running, sliding into a classroom and hid behind the skeleton. Trembling in confusion and fear, she wondered why this particular yokai hunted for her. She glanced down at her handbag, desperately looking for her cellphone; she stopped rummaging when she noticed Kiyotsugu's eccentric gift. Hidden almost completely by the doll, was a pink mirror. Kana's fingers brushed it and with sudden clarirty, she remembered her normally cloudy childhood memories. She recalled that she'd picked it up and a yokai demon... what was his name again?

Ungaikyo...?

"That's right, girly," the mirror demon materialized before her and Kana screamed even louder than before. In this cramp and concrete space, she was at the mercy of this demon and she was going to die...

Death, that thought terrified her more than ever and with a last burst of energy, the human girl took off sprinting. But she knew it was futile, the mirror yokai was tired of playing and was now gaining on her. Desperately, she darted into the boys' toilet and instantly regretted it when she saw the mirrors and how they seemed eerily menacing despite being inanimate objects. She turned to backtrack but found herself facing concrete wall.

"Wha...? How?" she choked, unable to hide her fear when she found no escape routes.

Ungakyo laughed, materializing before her in a mantel of mist. "This is a world separated from reality, Kana-chan, no one can see us here, no one will be able to disturb us here..." he leered, laughing.

"No," the human girl moaned, sobbing in her arms. "Someone, please..."

_"Kana?"_ Distorted and not from the same reality, the voice came from her handbag. Kana's head jerked up, her misty vision tracking the source of the voice. _"Kana,"_ the same distorted voice of Kiyotsugu. _"Can you hear me?"_

Never before had the brunette been so happy to hear his voice. She sobbed in relief. "Save me, a mirror yokai caught me!"

_"What?!"_ A cacophony of outbursts, her friends were there and Kana really wanted to curl up and sob in relief at hearing their voices but she wasn't out of the hook yet. _"Where are you now?"_ It was Yura's voice this time, cool and calm. _"We'll come find you!"_

"I don't know," Kana whispered fervently, her back hitting the wall as she kept stepping backward. "I'm in the school, one it's many boys' toilet, please come find me—"

_"We will,"_ It was Riku's voice now, gentle and reassuring that reminded her of the silver haired Nurarihyon she craved to see now. She wanted his strong and reassuring aura and his deep crimson pools were always so filled with confident that she was sure nothing and no one would ever die under his watch—

Ungakyo advanced, licking his non-existent lips, a smirk on his face. "Maybe I can wait a little more as you and your friends drown in despair." At first, Kana was confused as to what he'd meant but when the door outside the mirror world slammed open to reveal Shima, she knew what he meant.

She pounded on the mirrors, screamed his name as loud as she could but he didn't seem to hear her nor did he see her. She saw concern evident in his features as he ran out again, yelling out to someone that he couldn't find her.

"I'm here," she sobbed, sliding down the glass surface. "I'm here, please—"

Ungakyo laughed cruelly. "Come to me, my prey," he advanced on her, looming over her seeming to grow larger and larger.

Large and warm hands found itself on Kana'a shoulders and she nearly screamed; she would've had she not felt the comforting and warm presence. "Nurarihyon-san?" she questioned hesitantly even as Ungakyo howled in anger and confusion, something about how it was impossible for others to enter his world specially for him and his preys.

"Yes," the silver-haired yokai smiled down at her kindly. But his gaze hardened and turned steely the moment his gaze landed on the mirror yokai who had liberated himself into many other pieces. "Fool," he murmured under his breath, bringing his sword to eye level. "If I don't know which one is the real you, I'll just cut down every single one of them."

Kana didn't even see nor did she feel him move but suddenly, the mirrors around them shattered and Kana finally felt the warm spill of the setting sunlight on her skin. She slumped back into the boy's warm body, he stiffened but he didn't push her away. "Thank you," she whispered breathlessly.

"No problem, no yokais attack anyone in my territory," The boy said, pulling back and turning to leave. But Kana grasped his sleeve tightly. He turned to her, tilting his head to the side inquiringly.

"Yeah?"

"Please... please tell me more about you?"

The human-looking yokai considered this, humming thoughtfully before he smiled again and nodded. "Sure, consider this my birthday present to you."

"How...?"

"Ungakyo only attacks his victims on their thirteenth birthday," the crimson-eyed yokai said by way of explaining. "Happy birthday, Kana-chan. Shall we go now?" He held out his hand to her and for a moment, Kana thought she saw someone else but she couldn't place it.

She nodded, hesitated for a moment before she placed her dainty hand in his.

"Yes."

.

.

.


End file.
